Mexico’s largest convenience store chain will reopen 191 stores in border city hit by gang threats

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s largest convenience store chain says it will reopen 191 stores in the border city of Nuevo Laredo that it had closed last week because of drug cartel threats. The Femsa corporation, which operates the Oxxo chain of convenience stores, said its stores will reopen Friday. Nuevo Laredo is located across the border from Laredo, Texas. The company said it had reached an agreement with authorities for stepped-up police presence around the stores, and the installation of panic buttons that can send a signal to police. The store closures illustrated how even Mexico’s biggest firms are falling victim to gang demands for protection payments or information.