Aguakan Director’s Legal Battle Unfolds!

Paul Rangel Merkley, Director of Aguakan, a water supply company in Cancun and the Riviera Maya, is currently under a red notice and an immigration alert. Aguakan is the largest water concessionaire in the country's main tourist area. However, Merkley has managed to temporarily suspend these measures, which would prevent him from leaving the country without arrest, by filing an appeal for protection to a Collegiate Circuit Court in Quintana Roo.

On December 22, agents from the Criminal Investigation division, National Guard, and Federal Police of Investigation attempted to arrest Merkley at his workplace. However, they were prevented from entering the premises, according to court documents. This arrest attempt is related to a criminal complaint filed by the Government of Quintana Roo against Aguakan earlier last year, alleging procedural fraud.

The complaint suggests that the company may have unlawfully obtained a suspension of protection against the removal of its concession, which was approved by the Congress of Quintana Roo in 2023. Following the failed arrest attempt, Merkley quickly filed an indirect protection claim against the arrest warrant, red notice, and immigration alert, which could potentially be enforced by Interpol. His case was referred to the Second District Court of Quintana Roo, which granted a partial provisional suspension. This meant that the arrest warrant was suspended, but the immigration alert remained active.

Merkley immediately appealed this ruling, and the case was taken up by the Second Collegiate Circuit Court. The court granted a provisional suspension against the red notice and immigration alert, pending a final decision on the suspension. A hearing is scheduled for January 29 to determine whether Merkley will be granted a definitive suspension against these measures to avoid long-term detention.

This case is significant due to Aguakan's extensive reach. The company, owned by Desarrollos Hidraulicos de Cancun, serves 1,481,686 residents in the municipalities of Benito Juarez, Solidaridad, Puerto Morelos, and Isla Mujeres, which includes Cancun and the Riviera Maya, the country's largest tourist destinations.