Five Police Officers Detained in Disappearance of Young People in Chetumal

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — Five police officers, including four municipal agents and one state officer, have been detained for their alleged involvement in the disappearance of three young people in Chetumal, state officials said.

The arrests took place during a surprise operation at the morning roll call inside the Municipal Police compound in Othón P. Blanco. Investigators from the State Prosecutor’s Office took the officers into custody after reviewing patrol car video footage that allegedly shows them accepting cash payments from suspected organized crime members in exchange for helping carry out the kidnapping.

Security sources said the surveillance footage from one of the department’s own patrol cars became the key evidence leading to the detentions. The alleged payments point to collusion between active officers and criminal cells operating in the southern part of Quintana Roo, with the police force allegedly used as an operational arm for disappearances.

Among those arrested is a state police officer identified as Larriva, assigned to the Municipal Police and reportedly acting as a liaison. Four municipal officers identified as Barajas, Ana Karen, a man nicknamed “El Chacal,” and another named Rogelio were also taken into custody.

Sources within the Public Security Department confirmed that the five officers were stripped of their service weapons and transferred under heavy security to the State Prosecutor’s Office. They have been placed at the disposal of the Public Prosecutor’s Office to face charges including forced disappearance committed with the participation of public servants, abuse of authority, and alleged links to organized crime.

State prosecutors will determine the officers’ direct criminal responsibility in the disappearance of the three victims. The case is seen as one of the most significant actions against police corruption in the municipal force under the current administration and has opened a broader investigation into criminal infiltration of local security agencies.