Four Suspected Extortionists Arrested in Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Four people have been arrested on charges of aggravated extortion after allegedly demanding monthly payments from a bar owner and later shooting at the establishment, authorities said.

The suspects, identified as Ángel Anselmo N., Román Jesús N., Daniel N., and Esperanza Guadalupe N., were taken into custody in the Misión Villamar neighborhood by state prosecutors and municipal police, acting on arrest warrants issued by a judge.

According to the investigation, on June 10, Esperanza Guadalupe N. and Román Jesús N. visited the bar in the Centro neighborhood and demanded 15,000 pesos (about $800) per month for protection. The woman claimed to represent a criminal group aiming to control local bars and warned that other groups were “heating up the territory.” She threatened that they did not want what happened to other bars, “where several people were killed.”

Román Jesús N. then handed over a piece of paper with a phone number and warned the victim they had one hour to call because “with us, you don’t mess around.” The next day, armed individuals fired at least four shots at the bar, causing only property damage.

On July 21, Ángel Anselmo N. and Daniel N. returned to the business and told the owner, “Don’t act tough,” adding it was the last chance to pay or “next time we’ll come to kill.”

The victim filed a complaint, leading to the arrest warrants. Investigative police, with support from the municipal Public Security Department, detained the four suspects, who were handed over to judicial authorities.