Alleged Crime Boss ‘El Marce’ Arrested in Mérida Over Quintana Roo Killing

Mérida, Yucatán — A man accused of leading a criminal cell that operated in Benito Juárez, Quintana Roo, was arrested in Mérida, Yucatán, on an arrest warrant for his alleged role in a premeditated homicide.

The suspect was identified as José Marcelino “N,” alias “El Marce,” who had been listed as a priority target in Quintana Roo’s crime atlas. Investigative police officers from Quintana Roo and Yucatán carried out the operation together.

Officials disclosed the arrest during a meeting of Quintana Roo’s Peace Cabinet, saying the warrant stems from the killing of a man in Supermanzana 524 of Benito Juárez, the municipality that includes Cancún.

Ambushed Outside His Home

According to investigators, the victim was leaving his home when two men intercepted him and shot him several times before fleeing.

Detectives believe José Marcelino “N” ordered the killing amid disputes over drug sales between rival criminal groups, because the victim belonged to an opposing organization.

Authorities said the suspect belonged to a criminal structure once headed by Héctor Elías Flores Aceves, who is serving a 50-year prison sentence for a separate homicide.

Drug Sales and Contract Killings

According to Quintana Roo officials, “El Marce” allegedly sold drugs at nightclubs, bars and beaches and was also linked to contract killings.

He is additionally under investigation over four homicides committed in April 2023 near a hotel on Cancún’s Kukulcán Boulevard. Authorities believe those killings also grew out of fighting between criminal groups over control of drug sales.

Following his arrest in Mérida, José Marcelino “N” was handed over to the judicial authority that requested him, which will determine his legal status within the period set by law.

The accusations are based on statements by authorities, and it will be up to the judicial process to determine his criminal responsibility.