SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Mexican authorities said they have dismantled 11 gangs that were extorting businesses throughout the Tijuana region.
At a news conference Thursday morning in Tijuana, police told reporters they had made a total of 37 arrests during a sting operation throughout Tijuana, Ensenada and Rosarito.
Tijuana’s Secretary of Public Security, Laureano Carrillo Rodríguez, said the suspects were all threatening business owners with violence and vandalism if they did not pay a monthly fee, known as “cobro de piso.”
“The results we’ve gotten were fortunately very good,” he said. “Some of the arrests took place as the suspects were showing up to collect the money or in the process of demanding payment.”
Carrillo Rodríguez said the operation took place over the course of several days ending on Monday with Mexican Marines, Mexico’s National Guard and Tijuana Municipal Police taking part.
“This is part of a strategy implemented on August 4 when we announced the creation of a center against extortion, more intelligence gathering and operations targeting criminal gangs while rendering more attention and care to victims and the 089 help line.”
This 089 line has been in place since last year as a way for people to report extortion and other crimes against the public.
Some, including Tijuana’s Chamber of Commerce, have been critical of the line saying calls rarely lead to investigations or convictions.
In the last year, as many as 300 businesses in Tijuana have filed complaints, claiming to be victims of extortion, according to the city’s chamber of commerce.
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