17 Yucatán Properties Shut Down for Illegal Clearing

Mérida, Mexico — The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) has shut down 17 forested properties in the states of Campeche, Quintana Roo, and Yucatán after detecting illegal land use changes and unauthorized clearing without permission from the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat).

The enforcement operations were conducted from June 15 to August 31, 2025, in coordination with the National Guard, the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena), and state authorities.

In total, the affected area amounts to 3,747.59 hectares of jungle, distributed as follows: 247.85 hectares in Campeche, 2,531.12 in Quintana Roo, and 968.62 in Yucatán.

The specific locations of the interventions were:

• Campeche: The ejidos (communal lands) of Xmaben and Francisco J. Mújica in the municipality of Hopelchén.
• Quintana Roo: The municipalities of José María Morelos and Bacalar, in addition to the Bala’an K’aax Flora and Fauna Protection Area.
• Yucatán: The ejidos of Nohalal, Emiliano Zapata, and Poccheil, in the municipality of Tekax.

During the operations, machinery used in the clearing activities was seized, including tractors, backhoes, a Caterpillar D8 machine, a well drill, and fumigation pumps.

The shutdowns were carried out following inspections that confirmed the lack of land use change permits issued by Semarnat. Profepa reported that administrative procedures have been initiated and, in some cases, criminal complaints have been filed.

The agency stated that these actions are part of a surveillance strategy in the Yucatán Peninsula to stop deforestation and unauthorized agro-industrial expansion, as well as to ensure compliance with current environmental legislation.