A video showing cartel gunmen beating a taco vendor sparked outrage in Mexico where government officials claim crime is decreasing and extortion is not an issue.
The video was filmed in the city of Caborca, Sonora — a region controlled by a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. In the video, two gunmen with rifles are seen beating a taco vendor with a large pole. The gunmen force their victim to the floor and begin kicking him and beating him with the pole.
Mexican Senator for Sonora and former TV journalist Lily Tellez shared the video on social media. The senator expressed outrage and claimed that violence has been under the control of Mexico’s ruling party Morena.
According to Mexico’s El Debate, Sonora’s Attorney General Claudia Indira Contreras Cordova publicly claimed last year that there were no cases of extortion. The state’s top law enforcement official said there was talk about extortions or “cobro de piso,” but no actual cases had been filed.
The video comes at a time when Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and his Morena Party continue to be harshly criticized for their soft approach against criminal organizations.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
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