Two people were killed and an asparagus packing facility was burned this week in northern Sonora.
The violence took place in the municipality of Caborca, which has seen a dramatic rise in homicide this year. It is also home to major asparagus operations, which employ thousands and export millions of dollars of the vegetable annually.
“Thousands of jobs are being put at risk,” said Manuel Hoyos, head of the Observatorio Sonora por la Seguridad.
In 2019, nearly $200 million worth of asparagus was grown in the Caborca district, according to federal data. Through September, 71 murder investigations have been started, well more than twice the figure for all of last year, according to the most recent federal crime figures.
