Mexico has deployed 660 soldiers and militarized National Guard officers to the state of Michoacan to protect lime growers facing extortion demands from cartels. Since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office on Oct. 1, 300 soldiers and 360 Guard officers have been sent to various lime-growing townships in the region.
In August, over half of the lime packing warehouses in Michoacan temporarily closed due to demands from cartels, including Los Viagras, for a share of the growers' income. The troops are now visiting packing houses, escorting fruit transport trucks, and providing security at wholesale markets in key producing areas like Apatzingan, Aguililla, and Buenavista.
