Cancún Municipal Inspector Faces Criminal Extortion Charges

Cancún, Quintana Roo — A municipal inspector in Cancún faces criminal extortion charges for allegedly demanding protection payments from street vendors in the city’s Supermanzana 255 neighborhood.

Manuel Jesús “N” was formally charged and ordered to remain in preventive custody after a judge linked him to an extortion case. The charges stem from a complaint filed by a food vendor who accused him of demanding regular payments in exchange for allowing her to continue operating her business.

The Quintana Roo State Prosecutor’s Office said the suspect allegedly collected “protection money” from vendors in the area and was arrested recently under a court-issued warrant.

Authorities first became aware of the suspect’s activities earlier this month when state police stopped him for reckless driving. During that stop, officers discovered a large amount of cash and a notebook containing what appeared to be records of protection payments collected from vendors.

The Quintana Roo Public Security Department announced on March 3 that they had detained Manuel Jesús “N”, who was reportedly working as an inspector for the Municipal Street Commerce Directorate. Authorities allege he used this position to demand illegal payments.

Initially, the suspect was turned over to the State Prosecutor’s Office for resisting and disobeying authorities after allegedly assaulting the officers who stopped him. He was released on those charges, but the extortion investigation continued, leading prosecutors to obtain an arrest warrant from a judge.

The victim who filed the complaint told authorities that the suspect visited her food stall multiple times in February, accompanied by another individual, demanding payments to allow her to continue working. She said he claimed all vendors in the area had to pay protection money.

The vendor reported that on February 17, the suspect returned to her stall and told her she needed to make regular payments to continue selling. She later gave him cash out of fear of retaliation.