Facebook Marketplace Kidnapping Foiled in Cancún

Cancún, Mexico — A kidnapping attempt was thwarted on Wednesday night in the Región 249 district after a man managed to escape from three individuals who tried to force him into a pickup truck. The incident occurred after the victim was lured to the location under the pretext of selling his cellphone via a posting on Facebook Marketplace.

According to initial reports, the victim was contacted by a supposed buyer who arranged to meet him near an Oxxo convenience store in the Sacbé neighborhood, along Chac Mool Avenue. Upon arriving at the location, he was intercepted by two men and a woman who got out of a black pickup truck.

After feigning interest in the device, the trio attempted to subdue him and force him into the vehicle. However, the victim broke free after a brief struggle and ran towards a residential area, where neighbors assisted him and alerted the 911 emergency number.

The Secretary of Citizen Security (SSC) activated a code red and deployed a ground operation, with aerial support from the "Águila Uno" helicopter. Minutes later, officers managed to detain two men and one woman, who were located along with the black pickup truck, still parked near the spot where the incident took place.

The three individuals were turned over to the State Attorney General's Office to determine their legal status.

The official SSC report confirmed that it was an attempted kidnapping, as the aggressors tried to deprive the seller of his liberty by simulating an online transaction. Furthermore, the authorities do not rule out that the detainees may be connected to other similar cases that have occurred in the city.

The victim, who was unharmed, was transported to file a formal complaint with the Public Prosecutor's Office and to receive support from the Investigative Police.

In light of the event, authorities urged the public to take extreme precautions when conducting online purchases or sales, recommending that such meetings always be arranged in safe, well-lit places and, preferably, near police facilities.