Meanwhile, in the area of Nochistlán and Apulco, on the Zacatecas side, as well as in Yahualica and Mexticacán, on the Jalisco side, the criminal Gerardo González Ramírez, alias “El Geras”, of the CJNG operates.
The Zacatecas routes connect the entity with the Pacific, with the north of the country and also with the central area, making them extremely attractive – and necessary – for the transfer of drugs and that is why the battle between factions still continues.
The violent dispute between the CJNG and the CDS for control of Zacatecas has even generated multiple displacements of inhabitants in Jerez and Valparaíso, as occurred at the end of 2022.
However, it is not only roads that are of interest to criminal groups: mining is also under their sights.
Organized crime cells extort mining companies in the north of Zacatecas, in the north and coast of Michoacán and in the Tierra Caliente of Guerrero, as well as members of the entire chain linked to production, ministerial sources have confirmed.
The floor charge allegedly ranges from 200 pesos to 500 thousand pesos per week for workers, resident staff, truck operators, managers and even businesses that work in the vicinity of the plants.