Agents from Mexico's Secretariats of Public Security (SSP), National Defense (Defensa), and Public Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), along with the State Attorney General's Office (FGE), arrested two alleged members of a criminal cell accused of extorting lemon and avocado growers.

Following investigative and intelligence efforts in the Tierra Caliente region, federal and state security forces detained a man and a woman allegedly involved in the homicide of Attorney General's Office (FGR) agents and kidnapping.

The arrests took place in the town of Cenobio Moreno, in the municipality of Apatzingán, where agents from the Civil Guard, the Undersecretary of Specialized Investigation (SIE), the Mexican Army, the National Guard, the SSPC, and the FGE were deployed.

The suspects were identified as Gerardo Valencia Barajas and his cousin, Joana.

During the operation, which involved both air and land mobilizations, no civilians or law enforcement officers were injured. Security measures remain in place in the area and along regional highways to maintain order and ensure public safety.

The suspects will be handed over to the appropriate authorities to determine their legal status.

Mexican lemon growers have long faced extortion, with cartels demanding payments for every loaded truck leaving the region. In September 2024, lemon grower José Luis Aguiñaga Escalera was murdered, allegedly by the Los Viagras cartel, sparking work stoppages and packing plant closures in protest over the lack of security.

Photo: SSP Mexico