Mérida Capture: Criminal Leader Linked to Triple Murder

Mérida, Mexico — A leader of a criminal cell based in Playa del Carmen was arrested in Mérida, where he had been hiding. The individual is accused of being the intellectual author of a triple execution.

The subject, identified as Heladio “N,” also known as “El Shoker,” was described in his arrest record as highly dangerous. For months, he lived among residents of the Yucatán capital, evading authorities despite a warrant for his arrest that had been circulated to all police agencies.

The arrest was carried out by the Secretary of Public Security on Saturday, based on collaboration agreements. The capture occurred just days after two of his alleged accomplices, the suspected material authors of the crime, were detained in the state of Tabasco.

Heladio “N,” 46, is a native of Cancún and is accused of ordering and participating in the deaths of Saddán Alexis B. M., Saúl V. L., and Jesús Alejandro U. C., aged 34, 28, and 32, respectively.

According to the results of police and ministerial investigations, the deceased were taxi drivers in Playa del Carmen who had previously belonged to the criminal group led by their assailant. They were allegedly killed for switching their allegiance to a rival group.

The events occurred on the night of July 16 of this year on a path next to the Cancún-Playa del Carmen highway. Investigators state that Heladio “N” gave the order to kill the three men during a group call on WhatsApp with other individuals and a witness whose identity is being protected.

The investigation revealed that to avoid arousing suspicion, the victims were lured to a meeting under the pretense of a drug sale, referred to in the communication as "dulces" (candies). Each victim arrived at the meeting point in their respective taxi vehicles and together boarded a Town Country minivan, where the alleged killer and other subjects were waiting.

After a brief journey, they were taken to a path where they were executed with a firearm.

Following his capture in Mérida, Yucatán law enforcement agents and prosecutors turned the subject over to their counterparts in Quintana Roo, who will present him before the control judge that issued the arrest warrant.

This situation is not new, as Yucatán has previously served as a hiding place for important criminals connected to organized crime.