Authorities Rescue Five Minors from Labor Exploitation and Drug Trafficking in Cancún

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Federal and state authorities rescued five adolescents from forced labor and involvement in drug trafficking during simultaneous raids in Cancún’s Tres Reyes neighborhood on Tuesday.

The operations targeted a tortilla shop and a scrap metal yard on the area’s main avenue, where the minors were subjected to grueling work schedules and poor living conditions.

At the tortilla shop, officers found a girl and a boy working more than eight hours daily without days off for a weekly wage of just 1,000 pesos (about $50). Authorities confirmed the children were also forced to sell drugs in the area by their captors.

Nearby, at the scrap yard, officials located three more teenage boys—two Mexican nationals and one Honduran—working shifts exceeding 10 hours daily for 1,500 pesos ($75) per week. During medical checks, officers noted multiple scars on the boys’ bodies from handling heavy metals without protective equipment.

After securing the minors, prosecutors sealed both businesses as evidence. Investigators collected weighing tools and other items linked to human trafficking, which they turned over to the State Prosecutor’s Office to strengthen the case.

The five adolescents were transferred to the DIF (Family Services) system under strict security protocols, where they will receive medical, psychological, and temporary shelter. Authorities continue investigating to identify and arrest the business owners and others responsible for the exploitation network, who could face severe charges including human trafficking and drug-related crimes.