Mexico: Organized crime - a permanent threat to church leaders

According to La Opinion reporting on 19 September 2019, the criminal group, Northeast Cartel (CDN), abducted a young Protestant pastor on 15 September in Nuevo Laredo (Tamaulipas). The pastor had been defending immigrants from being used by the cartel to extort money from their families. In a separate development, reported by El Heraldo de Mexico on 30 September 2019, Catholic priests in Celaya (Guanajuato) have been receiving phone-calls demanding protection money. Rossana Ramirez, persecution analyst at World Watch Research, comments: "The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of the Mexican Ministry of Finance (as reported by Contralinea on 2 October 2019) states that organized crime constitutes the main threat to the nation and includes kidnapping, extortion, drug and migrant trafficking. Particularly church leaders helping immigrants in the border region easily become victims of reprisals, along with their families. They are regarded as a hinderance to the interests of groups involved in organized crime."