Cancún Police Base Accident Exposes Corruption Ring

Cancún — An apparent accident at the Ilat Base of the State Police has revealed a network of corruption and abuse of power allegedly operated from within the corporation. The case involves mid-level and high-ranking officers from the Quintana Roo State Secretariat of Citizen Security.

Officer Eduardo Briseño, 34, originally from Chetumal, was rushed to the General Hospital Jesús Kumate Rodríguez after collapsing inside the facility located in Region 522. The incident was initially reported as minor; however, internal accounts indicated the officer was under the influence of an unidentified substance, opening a line of investigation for possible induced intoxication.

Following this event, testimonies and documents emerged pointing to operational chief José Ángel Hodgkin Cuevas, known as "El Husky," as the alleged leader of a parallel structure within the police force. According to reports, this network used active officers to carry out arbitrary detentions, extortion, and illegal collections from groups of foreign loan sharks, primarily of Colombian origin.

The system identified as "25×5," which consists of 25 consecutive days of work followed by five days of rest, operated as an internal mechanism of labor pressure, granting unofficial days off and financial compensation to officers who collaborated with the structure.

The network is alleged to have operated for at least nine years under the guise of intelligence operations. Preliminary investigations indicate the network generated income of between 1.8 and 2.4 million pesos every six months, reaching amounts exceeding 4.2 million pesos annually for each commanding officer involved. The funds were allegedly obtained through extortion of loan shark networks, who delivered monthly payments in exchange for not being detained or prosecuted.

Former Secretaries of Security such as Alberto Capella Ibarra, Oryavides Pedrero, and the current head, Julio César Gómez Torres, have been accused of omission or inaction in the face of these practices. The alleged participation of elements of the Secretariat of the Navy in irregular operations that led to acts of extortion has also been documented.

Internal reports also mention the fabrication of crimes and the alteration of official statistics to justify operational results. These actions allegedly led to the detention of individuals without evidence, for the purpose of maintaining favorable statistics in the public eye.

Civil organizations and members of the police force itself have requested the intervention of federal authorities such as the Attorney General's Office, the Financial Intelligence Unit, and human rights commissions to investigate the facts and determine responsibilities.

To date, the Secretariat of Citizen Security has not issued an official statement regarding the accusations.