A businessman dedicated to the citrus trade in Veracruz was murdered on Thursday, local authorities reported, becoming the second homicide of a trader in the sector so far this week.
The crime took place in the municipality of Álamo Temapache, a few hours before the visit of President Claudia Sheinbaum, who went to the area to supervise support efforts after the intense rains recently recorded, which left at least 78 people dead in the center and east of the country.
The victim was identified as Javier Vargas Arias, a renowned citrus fruit merchant, one of the main economic activities in the region with a presence in the international market.
Read more: Second person implicated in the murder of a lemon leader in Michoacán falls: García Harfuch
Vargas is the second merchant in the sector murdered this week
In a statement, the federal Security Secretariat reported that it “established immediate communication with the prosecutor’s office” of Veracruz and designated a specialized team “to collaborate in the investigations” and “arrest those responsible.”
This event occurs just a few days after the discovery of the lifeless body of Bernardo Bravo, leader of lemon producers in Michoacán, who had reported threats and extortion from organized crime.
In different regions of the country, criminal groups expanded their operations towards extortion of producers, businessmen and merchants, demanding payments or “quotas” to allow them to continue with their daily work.
With agency information
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