Playa del Carmen Cuts Intentional Homicides by 51.6% in First Eight Months of 2026

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — A security strategy run by the Playa del Carmen municipal government reduced intentional homicides by 51.6% between January and August of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, officials reported.

The administration of Mayor Estefanía Mercado said the decline was part of a broader push to strengthen crime prevention in the coastal resort city.

Declines Across Most Crime Categories

Over the same eight-month stretch, other offenses also fell, according to the municipal government:

• Firearm injuries: down 50%
• Vehicle theft: down 45.5%
• Motorcycle theft: down 45.6%
• Home burglary: down 33.2%
• Robberies overall: down 12.2%
• Retail drug sales: down 15.4%
• Rape: down 20%
• Business robbery: down 2.4%
• Kidnapping: no reported cases

Public Security Secretary Carlos Alberto Montesinos García said the improvements require sustained effort, a visible police presence and coordination among agencies.

He said combining the resources of different institutions strengthens prevention work and helps protect families, as well as the people who work in and visit Playa del Carmen.

Operation on Quinta Avenida

Running alongside the municipal strategy, the Blindaje Quinta Avenida operation steps up security and surveillance along one of the destination’s main tourist corridors. The Mexican Army, the National Guard, the Mexican Navy and the Quintana Roo Public Security Department all take part.

As part of that coordination, the Playa del Carmen Municipal Police took operational command of the patrol and prevention duties.