Mexico Grapples with Rising Extortion: From Corrupt Police to 'Protection Fees'

Late one evening, Luis was about to get into an Uber to go home when police stopped him. They produced two plastic bags containing a powder and crystals he had never seen before. Despite his insistence that they were not drugs, Luis was shoved into a police truck and driven off into the night.

"You're in big trouble," one officer said. For hours, Luis was threatened, mocked, and sexually abused as the vehicle roamed the city. Only after they drained his bank account and took all his cash—about $870 in total—was he released.

"If you tell anyone, we'll find you and kill your whole family," an officer threatened. This harrowing experience has become common in Mexico. Extortion is one of the fastest-growing and most widespread crimes in the country.

According to official figures, reported extortion cases nearly doubled between 2016 and 2025. In just the first four months of 2026, nearly 3,600 cases were recorded nationwide. However, the real number is likely far higher: only 0.2% of extortion cases are reported, largely because victims fear retaliation, making it Mexico's "silent" crime.

Extortion affects every sector of society, from wealthy entrepreneurs to street vendors who are shaken down by gangs in the form of "protection fees." In other instances, known as "express kidnappings," victims are held for hours until their families pay a ransom.

In the town of Huautla, Morelos state, the Bishop of Cuernavaca recently denounced extortionists demanding residents pay $10 per family member each month just to live there—equivalent to two-thirds of the daily minimum wage. "Imagine a mother selling tamales or ice cream having to pay organized crime. It's unbelievable and heartbreaking," said Bishop Ramón Castro.

When shopkeepers can no longer pay, they are often forced to close. Those who dare to speak out may pay with their lives. In October 2025, the leader of a lemon farmers' organization in Michoacán state was murdered after repeatedly denouncing extortion. Two weeks later, the mayor of Uruapán, Carlos Manzo, was shot dead on the Day of the Dead after speaking out against extortion.

President Claudia Sheinbaum has vowed to address the problem by pushing for a constitutional amendment to make extortion a federal crime, allowing prosecutors to investigate without requiring victims to file a complaint. Since the launch of the "national strategy against extortion" campaign last July, more than 1,300 people have been arrested.

Sheinbaum also launched a large-scale security campaign called Operation Swarm to tackle corruption among local officials. The campaign has led to the arrest of more than 70 officials, at least five of whom have been convicted of extortion. Often, local mayors collaborate with criminal gangs in exchange for bribes, or sometimes they rely on extortion to line their own pockets.

Like most extortion victims, Luis decided not to report the incident for fear the police would carry out their threats. But that night still haunts him. "I am really disappointed with all the violence happening in the city. Every time I pass a place where there are police, I suffer," he shared.