Chetumal, Quintana Roo — Héctor Contreras Mercader resigned as director of the Tax Administration Service of Quintana Roo (SATQ) on Thursday, bowing to public pressure after a scandal over his trip to the NBA Finals in New York.
In an official statement, Contreras Mercader said he stepped down to avoid harming the state government’s operations and to prevent political or media distractions. He insisted the trip was personal, taken during two unpaid leave days and paid for with his own funds.
However, the cost of courtside seats — ranging from $12,000 to $100,000 — drew sharp criticism when compared to his reported monthly net salary of 64,650 pesos (about $3,500), according to the National Transparency Platform.
The resignation comes after days of media scrutiny and social media outrage over the tax chief’s attendance at a basketball game at Madison Square Garden. State authorities are expected to name an interim or permanent replacement in the coming hours.
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