Judge Orders Trial for Four Suspects in Playa del Carmen Extortion Shooting

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — A judge has ordered three men and a woman to stand trial for aggravated extortion after they allegedly demanded protection payments from a bar owner and fired shots into the business, the Quintana Roo State Prosecutor’s Office said.

The suspects, identified as Ángel Anselmo “N,” Román Jesús “N,” Daniel “N” and Esperanza Guadalupe “N,” were taken into custody on arrest warrants. According to the investigation, the case stems from events that began June 10 at a bar on Avenida 30 Norte, between Calle 2 and Avenida Benito Juárez, in the Centro neighborhood.

On that evening, around 8:30 p.m., two of the suspects allegedly approached the bar’s manager and said they were acting on behalf of a criminal group that was “aligning” bars in the area. They demanded monthly payments of 15,000 pesos for “protection,” and warned that other businesses had been attacked — and people killed — when owners refused.

The suspects handed over a telephone number and told the manager to call, saying they “were not playing.” The following night, around 9 p.m., at least four gunshots were fired into the bar. No injuries were reported.

Days later, the other two suspects allegedly contacted the victim, threatened to kill him if he did not pay, and provided a bank account number for the deposit, prosecutors said.

After reviewing the evidence, the judge determined there was sufficient grounds to proceed and imposed pretrial detention for the four suspects for the duration of the judicial process.