In Mexico, extortion is an informal tax levied through fear. This time it is elected officials on the wrong side of the counter: authorities have reportedly arrested several local figures in the state of Morelos in a crackdown on racketeering.

Officials in the crosshairs

According to Bloomberg, four local officials were detained, including an acting mayor and a former mayor in Morelos, as part of a wider anti-extortion operation. The opposition mayor of Cuautla, Jesús Corona, is reportedly being sought.

Cuautla, in the state of Morelos.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 2.0 — The operation targets alleged extortion networks in Morelos state.

“Cobro de piso”, a national scourge

Extortion — the notorious cobro de piso — weighs on hundreds of thousands of Mexican businesses. Local politicians being suspected of involvement shows how porous, in some regions, the line between town hall and organised crime can be.

😏 The cynical take
Officially, a mayor collects local taxes. Unofficially, investigators say, some diversified their revenue in ways the municipal code never anticipated.

Magouilles & Compagnie's verdict

A crackdown aimed this time at elected officials rather than only cartels: the signal is political as much as judicial. Mexico's courts must establish responsibility; until then, presumption of innocence for those arrested.