Extortion and gang violence are hitting even big corporations and business leaders in Mexico

Associated Press

CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico (AP) — Even Mexico’s largest corporations are now being hit by demands for protection payments from drug cartels, and gangs are increasingly trying to control the sales, distribution and pricing of certain goods. Well-known, high-ranking business leaders aren’t even safe. The problem came to a head last week when the Femsa corporation — which operates Mexico’s largest chain of convenience stores — announced it was closing all of its 191 stores in the border city of Nuevo Laredo. The company said gangs demanded its gas stations buy from certain distributors. But the straw that broke the camel’s back was when gang members abducted two store employees, demanding they act as lookouts.