Municipal Official Abducted From Government Office in Puerto Aventuras, Found Dead in Burned Car

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Gunmen stormed a municipal government office in Puerto Aventuras on Friday afternoon and abducted a local official, whose body was later found inside a burned-out car on the highway to Tulum, authorities said.

The victim was identified as Luis Esteban Castillo, coordinator of Economic Development for the Solidaridad municipal government and president of the residents’ association of the Los Sauces neighborhood.

According to initial reports, the attack occurred around 1 p.m. at a government module next to the Puerto Aventuras town hall, at the intersection of Xiat and Chechén streets. Witnesses said at least three armed men burst into the office while Castillo was doing administrative work and forced him into a brown Volkswagen Vento in front of municipal employees, then fled in an unknown direction.

Police launched a search operation in Puerto Aventuras and nearby roads but found no trace of the official in the hours following the abduction.

Late Friday night, authorities received a report of a body found inside a burned vehicle on the Puerto Aventuras-Tulum highway near Kantenah. Investigators from the State Prosecutor’s Office, forensic experts, and federal forces secured the scene.

Preliminary information indicates the body is that of the abducted official, though authorities had not officially confirmed the forensic identification as of Friday night.

The brazen daylight abduction inside a government office has shocked Puerto Aventuras and the local public sector, highlighting the level of violence and impunity with which armed groups operate in parts of Quintana Roo. The killing also puts renewed pressure on state security authorities, as violent incidents linked to organized crime continue to occur in strategic corridors such as Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and Puerto Aventuras.

No arrests have been reported, and the State Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation to determine the motive and locate those responsible.