Quintana Roo Legal Counsel Moves Against Aguakán Director in Money Laundering Case

Cancún, Quintana Roo — The Quintana Roo state government’s legal counsel is seeking to intervene in a legal case that has protected Paul Andrew Rangel Merkley, director of water utility Aguakán, from arrest in a money laundering investigation.

The Legal Counsel Office of the Quintana Roo government filed a request Wednesday with the Second District Court to be recognized as an interested third party in an injunction proceeding where Rangel Merkley has obtained favorable rulings. The legal counsel originally filed the criminal complaint against Rangel Merkley and other Aguakán partners that led to the arrest warrant.

According to court documents from injunction case 1433/2024, the legal counsel argued that “the resolution issued could affect its legal interests” since it initiated the complaint that generated the arrest order being challenged.

Rangel Merkley has obtained suspensions through the injunction process that prevent his detention, including one granted in April 2025 that blocks any arrest. He and partners from Desarrollos Hidráulicos de Cancún are also fighting to maintain Aguakán’s drinking water supply concession in four Quintana Roo municipalities.

The case is currently under review by the Second Collegiate Circuit Court, prompting the state government’s legal team to seek limits on further legal benefits for Rangel Merkley. The director faces a migration alert related to the money laundering investigation.

Company representatives have filed additional appeals as the legal battle continues, with the outcome remaining uncertain as proceedings extend.