Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Three or four churches in Playa del Carmen have been targeted by extortionists so far in 2026, according to León Ballesteros Reyes, head of the municipality’s Religious Affairs Unit.
Ballesteros Reyes did not say how many of those cases were formally reported to the Quintana Roo State Prosecutor’s Office.
The official said the affected congregations have received support through Iglesia Segura, or Safe Church, a program coordinated with the municipal Public Security Department. As part of that effort, religious leaders are trained to recognize a possible extortion attempt and to know how to respond.
Congregations Asked to Watch for Victims
The program also encourages religious communities to identify congregants who may be facing a similar situation and to offer them support, Ballesteros Reyes said.
In addition, it calls for stepped-up surveillance at temples that have been burglarized, and coordination with traffic police to ease congestion near churches where large numbers of worshippers arrive during peak hours.
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