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Mexico City Police Detain Two in Historic Center Vendor Extortion Case

The case now involves allegations that one detainee is a Cuauhtémoc public‑space employee.

Overview

  • SSC officers detained the pair after witnessing a verbal confrontation with a street vendor at Avenida Hidalgo and Eje Central in the Centro Histórico.
  • Police identified them as Pedro C., 71, alias “El Chelas,” and Rafael H., 51, described as alleged members of the self‑styled Cártel 2 de Abril linked to La Fuerza Antiunión.
  • One detainee was identified in official records as a Cuauhtémoc public‑space worker since 2022, with the case tied to extortions reported near the Mercado 2 de Abril.
  • The victim told officers the men demanded a weekly fee to permit sales at that location.
  • A preventive search seized a cellphone, an electric bicycle, 10 identifications, cash, and a closed‑frequency radio, and both were turned over to the Ministerio Público as charges are pending, with records checks noting a 1994 penitentiary entry for the younger suspect and a 2021 investigation for the older.