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Raúl Piña Horta arrested for alleged extortion of verification centers
Raúl Piña Horta, a former federal deputy for the Green Ecologist Party of Mexico (PVEM) and official within the State of Mexico's Secretariat of the Environment, was arrested in Acapulco, Guerrero, on Monday. He is accused of participating in an extortion scheme targeting vehicle emission verification centers.
According to the State of Mexico Prosecutor's Office, Piña Horta and Carlos Eduardo “N”, the Director of Atmospheric Emission Control, allegedly forced owners of verification centers to pay illegal monthly fees. Business owners reported that 145 out of 168 centers in the state were being extorted, with payments ranging from 100,000 to 250,000 pesos per month depending on the number of inspection lanes.
Investigations suggest the scheme generated tens of millions of pesos in cash, which were reportedly delivered to a specific residence. The arrest was carried out with the support of federal authorities and the Guerrero Prosecutor's Office.
Entities
Carlos Eduardo “N” · Fiscalía del Estado de México · Raúl Piña Horta · Secretaría del Medio Ambiente del Estado de México