JUCHITÁN, MEXICO — A high-ranking municipal official in Oaxaca has been arrested as part of a major law enforcement operation aimed at dismantling an organized extortion network that has targeted local businesses and the transportation sector.
Judith Martínez Hernández, the Director of Cultural Development for the Municipality of Oaxaca de Juárez, was taken into custody along with five other individuals. According to the State Attorney General’s Office, the group is accused of engaging in extortion and “cobro de piso”—a practice of demanding illicit protection money—linked to the Alianza de Sindicatos y Asociaciones del Estado de Oaxaca (ASAEO).
The arrests, which took place in Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán, were the result of a large-scale joint operation involving the Mexican Navy (SEMAR), the Federal Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA), the National Guard, and State Police.
Authorities revealed that the criminal cell operated primarily in Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán and various points within the Metropolitan Zone, with some activities extending into the state capital. The group was identified as a significant blow to the local economy, specifically targeting small and medium-sized merchants, street vendors, and the transport sector—including taxi drivers, moto-taxi operators, and ride-share drivers.
The group’s modus operandi involved the coercive collection of protection money to allow victims to continue their livelihoods. Additionally, the network operated a predatory lending scheme, known locally as “gota a gota,” which utilized intimidation to secure high-interest, abusive loans from vulnerable residents.
The investigation originated from a series of citizen complaints from local merchants. Law enforcement was able to track a key operator responsible for collecting payments from transport workers, leading to the intervention. During the raid, authorities seized several mobile phones believed to contain vital data regarding the network’s victims and scope.
The six detainees have been turned over to the corresponding ministerial authority, where their legal status will be determined in the coming hours. As of the time of publication, the President of Oaxaca de Juárez, Ray Chagoya, has not issued a public statement regarding the arrest of the municipal official.