Playa del Carmen Deploys Major Security Operation for 2026 Carnival

Playa del Carmen, Mexico — Mayor Estefanía Mercado launched a major security operation for the Playa del Carmen 2026 Carnival on Friday, emphasizing that safety is essential for tourism, investment, and residents’ peace of mind. The announcement highlighted a 46% reduction in intentional homicides in the municipality.

“In Playa del Carmen, we are very clear: without security, there is no tourism and much less investment,” Mayor Mercado stated, adding that public security is not just rhetoric but a permanent policy that directly impacts daily life, the economy, and the confidence of those who live in and visit the destination.

She attributed these results to coordinated work between federal, state, and municipal governments. “This progress is not a coincidence; it is the result of daily work, coordination between institutions, and above all, the commitment of the men and women who go out every day to protect our city,” she said.

The mayor reported that Playa del Carmen currently has 324 police officers per 100,000 inhabitants, a figure above the international standard recommended by the United Nations (UN). “This fills us with pride, but it also commits us to continue training, professionalizing, and always acting with closeness and respect for human rights,” she noted.

She recognized the work of municipal police officers, stating that “their work does not start today nor end with the carnival; it is a permanent, often silent, but absolutely fundamental job so that Playa del Carmen remains a safe and reliable destination.”

Mayor Mercado also highlighted that the municipality has one of the best-equipped civil protection units in Quintana Roo, allowing for a prompt and effective response to any emergency, especially during events with high concentrations of people.

Darwin Covarrubias, Secretary of Civil Protection, Risk Prevention, and Firefighters, reported that the operation involves a force of 437 security personnel, supported by 88 operational units, ambulances, a helicopter, and three canine teams.

He detailed that the Municipal Citizen Security Secretariat, through its Preventive Police, Tourist Police, Traffic, and Social Proximity divisions, will provide coverage along parade routes, star concerts at Plaza 28 de Julio, mass events, and scheduled activities at various points in the municipality.

Covarrubias reiterated that the operation’s main objective is to safeguard the integrity of local families and visitors, ensuring an orderly, safe carnival with no incidents.

The Playa del Carmen 2026 Carnival operation is coordinated between the Municipal Government, the Mexican Navy, the Mexican Army, the National Guard, the State Police, the Municipal Citizen Security Secretariat, Traffic, Civil Protection, Firefighters, and medical services.

Attendees at the operation launch included Colonel Guillermo Robles Toscano, Commander of the 64th Infantry Battalion; Sub-Lieutenant María Fernanda Medina Ramírez, representing the National Guard; Second Master of Naval Infantry José Francisco Uc Sansores, representing the Fifth Naval Region; and Sub-Inspector Joel Chan Xool of the State Citizen Security Secretariat.

Also present were Eduardo Asencio Martínez, honorary president of the municipal DIF; Karen Román Flores, technical secretary of the Regional Coordination for Peace Building in Playa del Carmen; Commander Eleaquin Castro, representing the Municipal Citizen Security Secretariat; Arturo Castro Duarte, Chief of Staff; and Commander Osiris Ceballos, director of the Tourist Police.