Federal Judge Grants Suspension in Playa del Carmen Land Seizure Case Involving Former Official

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — A federal judge has granted a definitive suspension to a former official from the administration of ex-mayor Lili Campos Miranda, allowing him to avoid jail while facing charges related to the illegal seizure of a property.

Jorge Zavaleta Pellat, who was detained in August 2025 and later released, received the suspension from the Fourth District Court in an indirect amparo proceeding. The ruling, issued on March 12, 2026, permits him to remain free as he seeks to annul the criminal case against him.

Zavaleta Pellat is challenging a January 26, 2026 decision that denied a dismissal or nullification of the criminal process. The Playa del Carmen District Judicial Penal Court had previously ruled not to conclude his case.

Authorities arrested Zavaleta Pellat and Ariadne Guadalupe Vázquez Canul in August 2025. Zavaleta Pellat worked in the Advisory Secretariat handling legal affairs, while Vázquez Canul served as Campos Miranda’s personal secretary.

Prosecutors allege both officials used their positions to seize a property from a family in the Cristo Rey neighborhood by altering cadastral records. Public testimony from early 2025 detailed the scheme.

Vázquez Canul has also been released after offering a damage reparations measure in 2025. The case represents one of the most prominent corruption allegations during Campos Miranda’s administration.