CATEM accused of extortion and abuse in at least six states.

The accusations against the Autonomous Confederation of Workers and Employees of Mexico (CATEM) are not limited to La Laguna , where business owners in Coahuila and Durango have accused it of alleged extortion. The union is also facing lawsuits and complaints in other states such as Oaxaca, Veracruz, and Querétaro.

At yesterday's morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum was questioned about this . She responded that if there are complaints filed with the Attorney General's Office, they must be addressed. "Where there is a complaint, it is addressed, and there must be a complaint filed with the Attorney General's Office. If there is an extortion case that people are afraid to report to the Attorney General's Office, that's why the hotline was opened, and from there, investigations are conducted based on what is reported," she stated.

In Oaxaca, just last July, the local Attorney General's Office reported that it was investigating leaders of materials workers' unions, including CATEM, for the disappearance of four merchants from the State of Mexico who traveled to Ocotlán de Morelos to sell steel rods.

In Veracruz, the organization faces accusations of kidnapping and extortion. In May 2025, a scrap metal dealer from Las Choapas formally accused Juan Bautista, a municipal leader of CATEM, and his collaborator Pedro Olmos of depriving him of his liberty and demanding 50,000 pesos as a "fee."

In Querétaro, during the same month of July, the Bajío Confederation of Workers and Peasants (CTC) and a group of Kimtech employees filed a complaint against Erick Osornio, state leader of CATEM, for improperly collecting union dues from more than 200 employees. The accumulated amount totaled 576,000 pesos over a period of a year and a half.

The organization has also been the target of strong criticism in the Laguna Region, where business associations have accused it of extortion, assault, and alleged links to organized crime. According to a statement, they have filed complaints with the state prosecutor's office and the Unified Command, but have received no response.

Although there are no records of formal complaints, in other states such as Mexico City, the State of Mexico, Puebla, and Tamaulipas, complaints from employers and workers about threats, fees, and pressure to force them to join CATEM have also been documented.