Mexicali Business Chamber Goes Public on Extortion Crisis: Some Merchants Get 3 Calls a Week
Merchants in Mexicali receive up to 3 extortion calls per week and many have stopped answering their phones, the local chamber of commerce says.
MEXICALI, Mexico — The chamber of commerce in Mexicali is going public about a quiet crisis: systematic extortion targeting its members, with some businesses receiving up to three phone calls a week from criminals demanding payment.
CANACO Mexicali president César Beltrán Badilla confirmed the pattern, stating that the cases have been reported to the state prosecutor's office. But the numbers paint a grim picture of a city that, as a major land port of entry on the California border, should be a hub of cross-border commerce.
Beltrán said some merchants receive extortion calls anywhere from once to three times per week. The response from many: they simply stop answering unknown numbers or ignore calls altogether. "Extortion hits hard, and everyone is susceptible," he said.
The chamber is now pushing for more direct coordination with law enforcement — not just to file reports, but to get training on how to handle the calls and tools to protect businesses. The advice to members is straightforward: file a formal complaint, report the number, describe who called and what they demanded. But in a city where impunity is high and trust in authorities is low, many merchants quietly pay rather than report.
Mexicali sits directly across the border from Calexico, California, making it a critical node in both legitimate trade and illicit economies. The extortion problem is not new, but it has escalated to the point where one of the city's most powerful business organizations is publicly acknowledging what many have quietly endured for years.
Beltrán emphasized that the chamber is seeking a faster and more effective response from authorities. "What we want is reporting, and for the authorities to act," he said. That includes everything from follow-up investigations to training programs. For now, merchants in Mexicali are left navigating a daily gauntlet of phone calls that could be customers — or extortionists.