Quintana Roo Police Arrest Two Guatemalan Fugitives With Interpol Red Notices

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Authorities in Quintana Roo have arrested two men wanted by Interpol after escaping from a Guatemalan prison and suspected of leading the transnational criminal group Barrio 18, also known as Calle 18, state officials said.

The Quintana Roo Public Security Department identified the suspects as Rudy N., also known as Minor Aníbal N., and Lester N., also known as Esvin Estuardo N. Both face probable charges of crimes against health and violations of Mexico’s Federal Firearms and Explosives Law, the department said in a statement.

According to officials, both men are the subject of Interpol red notices and have been fugitives from a Guatemalan prison since October 2025.

Officers from the department’s investigations division were patrolling Supermanzana 41 in Cancún when they saw two people exchanging small transparent plastic bags containing dried plant material resembling marijuana, the statement said.

A preventive search turned up 379 transparent plastic bags of the material, a Taurus Armas G3 9x19mm handgun, two magazines, 18 live rounds, two black backpacks and three cellphones.

The men also carried a regional visitor permit issued by the National Migration Institute, an ordinary passport and a green notebook filled with notes bearing the word “colors.”

The suspects and the seized items were handed over to the Quintana Roo State Prosecutor’s Office, specifically its Specialized Unit for Combating Drug Dealing, to continue the investigation.