Cancún Restaurateurs Urged to Report Extortion After Playa del Carmen Gang Is Busted

Cancún, Quintana Roo — The breakup of an extortion ring that targeted 14 bars and restaurants in Playa del Carmen is being welcomed by restaurant owners in the northern part of Quintana Roo, who see the case as vindication for reporting crimes and working with authorities.

The State Prosecutor’s Office arrested Miguel Anselmo N., 42, known as “El Puma” and identified as the alleged leader of the group, along with Luis Alfonso N., 34, whose role was to visit the businesses and deliver threatening notes bearing phone numbers. The gang demanded monthly payments of 10,000 pesos under threat of armed attacks, officials said.

Complaint From Cocktail Bar Triggered Operation

The operation was launched after a cocktail bar reported that it had been asked for an initial payment of 50,000 pesos. Establishments named in the investigation include El Doctorcito, Señor Frog’s, La Chachalaca, Chapultepec, Los Olvidados and El Pirata.

Prosecutors said case files remain open as they work to capture the remaining members of the group.

Restaurant Group Calls for Formal Complaints

Perla Flores Navarro, president of the Canirac restaurant association in Cancún, Isla Mujeres and Puerto Morelos, urged restaurant owners to follow the Playa del Carmen example and file formal complaints with the Public Ministry, warning that silence creates a false sense of calm.

Flores Navarro said her jurisdiction has no direct reports of in-person extortion, and that the most common form of the crime in the sector is by telephone. She described Cancún’s institutional maturity as a strength compared with neighboring municipalities such as Playa del Carmen and Tulum.

Cameras Linked to State Command Center

As a preventive measure, the association is promoting the connection of restaurant security cameras to the platform run by the state’s C5 command center, a requirement at the main entrance of establishments licensed to sell alcoholic beverages.

Restaurants also maintain a direct operational link with the Public Security Department through the Grupo Centurión units, and staff receive ongoing training on how to respond quickly to extortion calls, Flores Navarro said.