Extortion victims abandon pets while fleeing Cancún violence

Cancún — Extortion is spreading through Cancún like a cancer with unexpected consequences, undermining optimistic crime statistics.

Two collateral victims of this uncontrollable scourge now wander the streets of Cancún’s central district.

Approximately four or five weeks ago, residents of superblock 24 began noticing two dogs roaming the streets and public parks.

Initially, they thought these were stray animals that had arrived by chance, but soon their aggressive behavior and constant roaming generated fear among pedestrians and those walking their own pets.

What seemed like another case of abandonment became a story revealing collateral damage from the violence hitting Cancún.

As days passed, the truth emerged: the two dogs were not strays. They had a home, names, and a family.

Their owners operated a home and garden maintenance business and had become victims of extortion threats from organized crime.

Following a fire attack on their business that endangered their lives, they made a desperate decision: close the company and flee Cancún for another country.

In their hasty escape, what they couldn’t take were their pets. The dogs were left trapped in the worst version of abandonment: one born not from indifference, but from terror.

Today they wander through streets and parks in the area as shadows of a story nobody asked to live. They are confused, stressed, and aggressive animals not by nature, but due to the abrupt rupture of their human bond. Meanwhile, neighbors live with daily uncertainty about encountering and being attacked by them.

Despite requests for intervention from Cancún City Council’s Animal Welfare department, help has not arrived. The streets and parks remain both their refuge and a risk to pedestrians and other pets.

What happened in this area, between Uxmal Avenue, Chichén Itzá, and Tankah, is not an isolated case. It’s merely one scene of the silent impact extortion is leaving on Cancún.

Extortion Grows: Data Explaining This Story

As of September 30, 2025, Cancún concentrated 114 formal extortion complaints, representing 75% of all cases in the state.

In Quintana Roo, the accumulated total reached 152 cases, according to figures from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (SESNSP).

Between March and June 2025, monthly incidence in Cancún remained practically stable, with between 19 and 21 reports each month.

However, these figures only show the surface: the dark figure — crimes that go unreported — is estimated at 92.9%, suggesting the reality is much greater.

Amid this criminal pressure, businesses close, families flee… and pets end up becoming invisible victims.

To report anonymously, Quintana Roo authorities recommend using the 089 hotline or the “Antiextorsión Quintana Roo” app.