Extortion Ring Unveiled in Tulum: 6 Suspects Linked to Court Case

Six individuals have been summoned to court over allegations of extortion against a restaurant business in Tulum. The State Attorney General's Office presented evidence leading to the judicial authority issuing the summons. The suspects, identified as Pedro Enrique, Heberto, Tomás, Tiburcio, Manuel Alejandro, and Alexander, were recently arrested by the Investigation Police, a division of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office in Combating Kidnapping and Extortion.

The suspects are accused of multiple instances of extortion since the start of the year. They allegedly intimidated staff at a restaurant on the Tulum-Boca Paila coastal highway, demanding a monthly "protection fee" of 30,000 pesos. They threatened to open fire on the establishment if the fee was not paid.

The restaurant complied with the demands, paying the fee each month, with the most recent payment made on August 31st. Investigations suggest that the six suspects are part of a criminal group involved in extortion and drug dealing in the area, contributing to local violence.

Following the constitutional period for review, the judge decided to link the six individuals to the case. They were also placed in preventive detention for a period of two years as a precautionary measure.