Overview
- Bernardo Bravo Manríquez, head of the Citricultores del Valle de Apatzingán, was found dead in his vehicle near Los Tepetates with signs of torture and a gunshot wound, the Michoacán prosecutor’s office reported.
- Federal and state forces detained Rigoberto López Mendoza, alias “El Pantano,” identified by authorities as a suspected operator tied to extortion of lime producers in Apatzingán and one of those linked to the homicide.
- The operation involved Sedena, SSPC, Semar, the National Guard, and federal and state prosecutors, with the suspect placed under the Public Ministry’s authority as investigations continue.
- At the time of his arrest, the suspect possessed multiple credentials, including an ID from the Apatzingán citrus association and falsified driver’s licenses, according to official reports.
- President Claudia Sheinbaum said there must be justice and pledged federal support for the state probe, while officials noted Bravo had previously been assigned escorts and an armored vehicle and that security has been reinforced in the region.