Marriage fraud ring exposed in Cancún civil registry

Cancún, Quintana Roo — A suspected marriage fraud ring operating within Cancún’s Civil Registry has been exposed through citizen complaints, revealing an alleged scheme to arrange sham marriages between Mexican women and foreigners for immigration purposes.

According to online accusations, two women identified as Mayla Anahí Pool and María del Carmen Guzmán reportedly recruit single Mexican women aged 18 to 60, offering them 3,500 pesos to marry foreign nationals. The payment structure allegedly includes 2,000 pesos upon signing the marriage certificate, with the remaining balance paid after the Mexican woman assists with immigration paperwork.

The complaints specifically target Judge Rosa Laura Urzúa Bravo, who allegedly allows these marriages to proceed without proper verification, facilitating rapid document processing. At least two Civil Registry employees—one man and one woman—are accused of transporting participants to the location, ensuring they only sign documents and leave immediately without interacting with their supposed spouses.

“This isn’t marriage, it’s business. They’re using us to regularize foreigners’ status and profiting from it. It’s shameful that an institution like the Civil Registry would participate in this,” said one woman who claimed to have been approached to join the scheme and requested anonymity for fear of retaliation.

The scandal has grown with the circulation of audio recordings allegedly explaining the process, payments, and operations. In one recording, a woman identified as María del Carmen explains she needs two candidates, stating they don’t need to visit the office for the wedding—only provide copies of their birth certificate and voter ID.

She details paying 2,500 pesos for the procedure: first receiving documents to submit to the Civil Registry on Tuesday, then delivering cash on Wednesday. Another recording features a different woman saying: “They give you 2,000 when you sign and the rest when you help with the papers. It’s easy—you just sign and that’s it. No need to live together or anything.”

Cancún is one of Mexico’s primary destinations for binational marriages. In 2025 alone, Benito Juárez municipality recorded over 1,850 weddings involving foreigners, according to official data. The Yucatán Peninsula, particularly Quintana Roo, leads the nation in marriage rates with 7.7 unions per 1,000 residents—well above the national average. This high demand makes the alleged convenience marriage network particularly concerning.

As of now, neither Civil Registry director Eduardo Kuyoc Rodríguez, Benito Juárez municipal authorities, nor the State Prosecutor’s Office have issued official statements or launched visible investigations. Citizens argue that public institutions must not become centers for document trafficking, as this damages the city’s reputation and undermines trust in state government.