Tortillas: They're real simple. Mix up some masa, shape it, squash it in a press, cook it. How could a tortilla ever get mixed up in violent international conflict?

But tortillas are absolutely vital to Mexico's way of life — so perhaps it's not surprising that they've become the target of the psychopathic cartels:

Small businesses stamping out warm tortillas have long been a fixture of Mexican neighborhoods. Now, thousands are being threatened by armed groups, part of a transformation in organized crime that's rippling through Latin America. Cartels are playing a growing role in the region's economies, from infiltrating seaports to extorting small businesses — and gaining increasing political power.

The cartels have their hands in just about every single major enterprise they can get their hands on. But tortilla shops aren't exactly "major" — and yet the cartels are still after them:

In Mexico, they're shaking down fishermen, chicken vendors, builders, trucking companies, gas stations and a host of other businesses, including producers of the country's staple food — the corn tortilla.

You know the drill: A scumbag comes into the shop, says you need to pay up in order to receive "protection" from the local mob. Agree and you have to pay the scummers big money to keep them from torching your shop. Say no and ...

Around 20,000 tortilla shops "are regularly extorted," according to Mexico's National Tortilla Council (we told you it was vital to the Mexican way of life). That translates into helping drive the price up — just one dismal factor among many propelling the humble tortilla to very expensive status:

The price of tortillas in Mexico has surged by 60.9% during the current federal administration, driven by rising input costs, inflation, and widespread insecurity, according to the National Tortilla Council.

As one industry expert put it: "In recent years, we have seen insecurity advance in the business, with extortions, protection conditions for gas, and for the purchase of flour and corn."

Advocates have "[asked] the federal government to meet with the entire sector to address these issues, or the consequence will be that tortilla prices will continue to rise, affecting the entire production chain and consumers."

Bottom line: Never underestimate how scummy the cartels can be. It's always scummier than you think.

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