Michoacan security forces stop over 8.5 million pesos in extortion payments

In May, the Secretaría de Seguridad Pública (SSP) of Michoacan, operating through the Civil Guard and the C5 surveillance platform, intervened to prevent victims of telephone extortion and virtual kidnapping from handing over more than 8.5 million pesos to criminal groups.

Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla and SSP secretary José Antonio Cruz Medina reported that 290 extortion complaints were processed, immediate action averted payments exceeding 7 million pesos, and intelligence work stopped a further 1.5 million pesos in deposits. The operation also rescued 25 virtual‑kidnapping victims, recovered 263 stolen vehicles, disabled 20 unauthorized surveillance cameras, and led to the arrest of nine individuals suspected of homicide in Uruapan.

These results were presented in a press conference highlighting the role of video‑surveillance and rapid response in combating high‑impact crimes in the state.