Cancun, Quintana Roo — A new scandal has erupted in Cancun after a viral video appeared to show Mexican Navy personnel stealing a cellphone, cash, and a tablet, and attempting to plant drugs during an operation in the Supermanzana 75 neighborhood.
What was supposed to be a routine inspection turned into a scene of public outrage. According to social media posts, several citizens were stopped by armed navy personnel who searched them and confiscated phones, cash, and a tablet.
The incident escalated when one of the victims called his own phone in front of the officers. Seconds later, the phone rang from inside a tactical vest worn by one of the navy members.
The moment was captured on video: citizens demanding the return of their belongings while officers appeared nervous and silent. The footage quickly went viral, sparking widespread anger in Cancun, where residents denounced a pattern of abuse during federal operations.
More seriously, the victims allege that one of the officers pulled out a bag of narcotics, apparently intending to plant drugs to justify an illegal detention.
The accusation strikes at the credibility of an institution that has faced multiple national controversies in recent years, including allegations related to fuel theft rings, corruption, and operations criticized for human rights violations.
The case comes at a particularly sensitive time for the armed forces, whose role in public security has expanded rapidly across the country, alongside a growing number of citizen complaints about abuses.
Residents of Supermanzana 75 demanded an immediate investigation and exemplary punishment.
“Now it turns out that those who should protect people end up looting them and fabricating crimes,” angry citizens said after the video spread.
The Mexican Navy has not yet issued an official statement regarding the widely circulated video, which continues to fuel public indignation in Cancun.
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