El 82 Extortion Ring Busted in Cancún Hotel Zone

CANCÚN — Agents from the Investigative Police of the State Attorney General's Office (FGE) have detained Miguel Ángel “N,” known by the alias “El 82,” a 32-year-old originally from Quintana Roo, who is accused of the crime of extortion against the owner of a travel agency located in the hotel zone.

According to the investigation, the detainee, along with other armed men, arrived at the establishment to demand a weekly payment of 10,000 pesos as a "protection fee."

Following the threats, the merchant agreed to deliver 5,000 pesos every Wednesday, payments which continued for five months. Subsequently, the extortionists instructed him that the payments had to be made by bank transfer, which allowed for the identification of Miguel Ángel “N” as one of the individuals responsible for receiving the money.

The prosecutor in charge of the case reported that “El 82” was also in charge of collecting extortion payments from businesses in the Las Palapas park, the hotel zone, and taxi stands. He is also under investigation for his alleged participation in the homicide of a firefighter, which occurred last year in supermanzana 100.

Following his capture, a control judge linked him to the legal process and ordered mandatory pre-trial detention, while investigations continue to determine the involvement of more people in the extortion network.