President Claudia Sheinbaum and federal security secretary Omar García Harfuch launched the "Plan Michoacán por la Paz y la Justicia" this Tuesday.
The initiative targets the systemic extortion of agricultural producers in one of Mexico's most productive regions. By securing the supply chains of key exports, the government aims to stabilize the local economy and reduce the territorial influence of organized crime.
The strategy focuses heavily on protecting lemon and avocado growers who have long faced pressure from criminal organizations. Federal forces have begun deployments across the state to weaken the grip of groups such as the CJNG and Caballeros Templarios [1]. Officials said the plan intends to prevent the recruitment of local youth into these gangs and restore federal control over the region [1].
As part of the initial rollout, security forces conducted 11 simultaneous raids against criminal cells linked to extortion activities [2]. These operations targeted specific hubs used by groups to coordinate illegal payments from farmers. In the avocado sector alone, authorities detained 12 extortionists [3].
President Sheinbaum emphasized that the eradication of extortion is a primary goal of the federal government. "Nos concentramos en ese delito," Sheinbaum said [4].
Omar García Harfuch said the operation is a combination of federal deployment and targeted raids to dismantle the cells responsible for the threats against producers [2]. The government said that the presence of federal troops will remain a constant in the lemon-producing and avocado-producing zones to ensure the safety of the productive sectors [2].
The plan comes as the government seeks to balance security deployments with economic protection in rural areas. By focusing on the agricultural heartland, the administration hopes to break the financial cycle that sustains regional cartels [1].
“"Nos concentramos en ese delito," Sheinbaum said”
The launch of this plan signals a strategic shift toward protecting specific economic sectors to undermine the financial viability of cartels. By focusing on high-value exports like avocados and lemons, the Mexican government is attempting to decouple the regional economy from the influence of the CJNG and Caballeros Templarios, though the success of the initiative depends on the long-term sustainability of federal troop presence in rural Michoacán.
