Mexico approves bill to prevent, punish extortion with up to 42 years in prison

MEXICO CITY, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Mexico's lower house of congress approved a bill on Tuesday to prevent, investigate and punish extortion with prison terms of up to 42 years.

The bill targets a crime that has climbed to record levels this year, rising 7% in the first six months to 5,887 registered victims.

• Extortion is the only crime that President Claudia Sheinbaum has acknowledged she has failed to reduce during her first year in office.

• The lower house also approved reforms to unify the definition of extortion nationwide and standardize penalties, which previously varied by state. Under the new rules, authorities will investigate and prosecute the crime ex officio, allowing victims to report anonymously.

• Officials who fail to report extortion could face 10 to 20 years in prison, while prison authorities or public servants who facilitate it could be jailed for 15 to 25 years. Inmates and penitentiary staff using or allowing electronic devices will face six to 12 years in prison.

• "Extortion is the fastest-growing crime in Mexico, and we clearly cannot continue to allow it. Today, millions of women and men in this country have to pay an illegal tax, and they pay it to extortionists, to criminals," said opposition lawmaker Kenia Lopez, who heads the lower house.

• The bill still requires approval by a majority of state legislatures to take effect. Officials hope the measures will increase reporting of extortion, which currently goes unreported in an estimated 96.7% of cases due to distrust in authorities.