Alleged illegal lot sales fuel land dispute in Riviera Maya

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — A long-running land dispute between Playa del Carmen and Puerto Morelos has escalated after affected parties reported that lots are being marketed for sale despite a federal resolution that prohibits commercializing the properties while their legal status remains unresolved.

According to complainants, a recent ruling by central authorities warned that the land cannot be sold until its legal situation is clarified. However, over the weekend, promoters began advertising lots and preparing sales events, including setting up tents and distributing food to attract buyers.

The affected parties claim the plots lack property titles and are national lands whose regularization is still pending before the Secretariat of Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development (SEDATU). They also noted that active criminal investigations are linked to the case, and any attempt to sell even a single square meter could lead to legal liability.

The controversy again focuses on José Gabriel Mendicuti Zapata and his father, Gabriel Mendicuti Loría, who have been named in multiple complaints by business owners and individuals over the occupation of high-value properties in the Riviera Maya. The complainants allege the pair have been involved in occupying several plots, including those known as “El Pitahayo” and “El Quitam,” located along Federal Highway 307 between Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen.

The complainants assert that these lands belong to the nation and that previous possessors had initiated transfer procedures with SEDATU before being dispossessed. They also claim the invasions were carried out with the support of groups of people who entered the land to take possession, incidents that were reported to authorities and remain under investigation.

Despite the warnings and the legal status of the properties, the complainants say lots are being promoted for sale to private individuals, which they describe as a potentially fraudulent operation. They have called for immediate federal intervention to prevent further harm.

Federal authorities have not yet announced any actions in response to the alleged commercialization of the disputed land.