Cancún workers find hidden weapons stash, police act oddly

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Workers from the waste management company Sistemas de Residuos Sólidos (SIRESOL) made a startling discovery during their routine duties: a cache of high-caliber weapons—rifles and handguns—concealed among the waste they were handling. The incident occurred on José López Portillo Avenue near the Santa Cecilia neighborhood, on the outskirts of the Benito Juárez municipality.

Unusual Police Response Raises Suspicions

According to sources close to the company, the discovery was reported to emergency services (911) shortly before midnight on Tuesday. State police from the Quintana Roo Secretariat of Citizen Security arrived within minutes. However, their actions have since sparked widespread concern and skepticism.

Witnesses among the workers reported that officers acted with unusual haste: they collected the weapons without questioning witnesses, cordoning off the area, or waiting for investigative personnel from the State Attorney General’s Office—a direct violation of protocol for handling evidence potentially linked to organized crime.

“They didn’t do anything. They just took the guns as if they already knew what to do and left without saying a word,” said one employee, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation.

Chain of Custody Compromised

The failure to secure the scene or involve forensic experts has raised serious doubts about the integrity of the investigation. The absence of proper documentation jeopardizes the chain of custody, potentially hindering future efforts to trace the weapons’ origins.

Authorities have yet to release an official statement detailing the number of weapons recovered or whether they are connected to recent crimes. The exact location within the waste collection system where the weapons were found remains unclear, though speculation suggests they may have been transported by SIRESOL trucks from various parts of Cancún, including the mainland area of Isla Mujeres.

Silence Fuels Distrust

The lack of transparency has heightened anxieties among workers, who fear the weapons may belong to criminal groups operating in the region. The opaque handling of the case by law enforcement has further fueled suspicions of negligence or even collusion.

In Cancún, where high-impact crimes have risen in recent years, such procedural lapses undermine public trust in institutions tasked with upholding security and the rule of law. Key questions remain unanswered: Why were the weapons hidden there? Who placed them? And why were they removed without following protocol? For now, the authorities’ silence only deepens the mystery.