Federal Authorities Seize 11 Kilograms of Cocaine on Playacar Beach

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Federal authorities seized 11 kilograms of cocaine on Friday after a suspected drug shipment washed ashore along the coast of Playa del Carmen, near the upscale Playacar area.

The discovery was made around midday during routine coastal surveillance carried out by agents of the Federal Ministerial Police assigned to the local office of the Attorney General’s Office. Officers were alerted to a suspicious object that had been pushed onto the beach by ocean currents.

Upon inspection, authorities confirmed the object was a tightly wrapped, brick-shaped package consistent with cocaine. The site was located approximately 700 meters south of the Playacar resort zone, in the direction of the Xcaret area. A further visual sweep offshore revealed additional similar packages floating nearby, prompting an immediate recovery operation.

In total, 11 compact packages, each weighing roughly one kilogram and marked with the inscription “2025,” were secured. The area—known for its heavy tourist presence and proximity to luxury residential developments—was temporarily secured while agents from the Criminal Investigation Agency completed evidence collection and documentation.

Federal officials indicated that such discoveries are commonly linked to maritime drug trafficking routes used by fast boats operating from South America, particularly Colombia, with shipments intended for the U.S. market. In some cases, drug loads are abandoned at sea or lost due to evasive maneuvers, later washing ashore.

The seized narcotics were transferred under guard to the Federal Public Prosecutor, who has opened an investigation into crimes against public health. Authorities noted that the incident underscores the ongoing risk of narcotics wash-ups along the Quintana Roo coastline due to regional trafficking activity.