Night of Terror in Chiquilá: Gunfire and Reported Kidnappings

Chiquilá, Quintana Roo — A night of terror gripped the port town of Chiquilá, a key access point to Holbox Island, as residents reported sustained gunfire and the alleged kidnapping of two people, authorities said Saturday.

Witnesses in the Veracruzana neighborhood said multiple rounds of gunshots rang out for over an hour Friday night, forcing families to take cover inside their homes. Residents used social media and messaging apps to warn loved ones to stay off the streets while the shooting continued.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that a man and a woman were forcibly taken by unknown assailants. As of Saturday morning, officials had not confirmed the identities of the alleged victims or the circumstances of the abduction.

The municipal government of Lázaro Cárdenas and the state Public Security Department have not issued official statements. However, state prosecutors and military personnel have been deployed to reinforce security at the port’s entrances and have launched an investigation.

The incident is the latest in a string of violent episodes that have put the entire municipality on edge. Distrust in law enforcement has grown so deep that in the neighboring community of San Francisco, residents have reactivated a community checkpoint. There, locals conduct preventive searches of every vehicle entering the town, saying they feel abandoned by state and federal security forces.