Quintana Roo, Mexico — Between January 2025 and March 2026, authorities in Quintana Roo seized more than 573 firearms, a stark indicator of the steady flow of illegal weapons into the state. Once a sign of criminal cartel power, such seizures have become routine in official press releases.
Despite the numbers, little is known about the trafficking routes, what happens to confiscated weapons, or where they are stored. The lack of transparency, analysts say, undermines efforts to curb the violence that plagues the region’s tourist destinations.
Mexico’s strict gun laws
In Mexico, only the Defense Department (Sedena) is authorized to manufacture, assemble, and sell firearms, under the Federal Law on Firearms and Explosives. Sedena’s Directorate General of Military Industry produces weapons for the armed forces and is the sole authority to issue licenses for gun possession and carrying.
Because criminal groups cannot legally buy weapons, they rely on illegal imports of high-powered arms. In November 2025, the Mexican Navy seized 44 firearms, grenades, silencers, and tactical gear from Jalisco New Generation Cartel operatives in Cancún.
Trafficking routes into tourist zones
Intelligence reports indicate that criminal cells use highways in neighboring Yucatán — the state with the lowest crime rates nationally — as transit corridors. Weapons are smuggled through Yucatán and into Quintana Roo, destined for tourist hubs like Playa del Carmen and Benito Juárez (Cancún), then distributed to other municipalities.
The federal government identifies Quintana Roo as part of a southern border region affected by arms trafficking. While volumes are lower than along the northern border, there is a constant influx of handguns left over from Central American conflicts and other illegal imports.
According to state security figures, up to 80% of high-impact crimes in Quintana Roo’s tourist areas are committed with long and short guns from the black market.
Federal penalties fail to deter
Penalties for carrying a firearm without a Sedena permit range from three years in prison for a handgun of military caliber to up to 15 years for a long gun. But the punishments do not intimidate criminals.
On May 25, 2026, the State Prosecutor’s Office announced a raid in Felipe Carrillo Puerto where authorities seized seven long guns — including AK-47 and R-15 rifles — two 9mm handguns, a grenade launcher, and 90 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, all of which are restricted to military use.
Corruption and the challenge to peace
As the government pushes its peace policy in Quintana Roo, analysts say authorities must strengthen intelligence to intercept weapons along known trafficking routes. Corruption, they add, allows officials to look the other way.
Discover more from Riviera Maya News & Events
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
