Cancun, Quintana Roo — Three members of Cancun’s tourist police force have been arrested on charges of abuse of authority and extortion after allegedly forcing two foreign tourists to hand over $1,400, state prosecutors said Monday.
State Prosecutor Raciel Lopez Salazar said investigators from the state prosecutor’s office, working with municipal and state security agencies, detained the officers. They were identified as Juan “N,” 25, from Tabasco, and Eduardo “N,” 32, from Oaxaca, who had seven and 15 years on the force respectively, along with a third tourist police officer.
According to the investigation, the incident occurred in the early hours of June 3 in Cancun’s hotel zone. Two tourist police officers allegedly stopped the victims and falsely accused them of urinating in public as a pretext to demand money. The officers demanded $1,400 — roughly 28,000 Mexican pesos — from the tourists.
A third officer then arrived and escorted the victims to an ATM, where they were forced to withdraw cash. One victim withdrew $800 and the other $600, prosecutors said.
The victims filed a formal complaint, leading to an investigation that prosecutors say established probable cause against the officers. Lopez Salazar said authorities are working to secure full restitution for the victims.
The prosecutor said the municipal security department is pursuing administrative proceedings against the officers in addition to the criminal case.
“We will not allow this type of abuse and extortion by authorities,” Lopez Salazar said, noting the charges carry potential sentences of up to 25 years in prison.
He emphasized that no public official is above the law and that the prosecutor’s office maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward corruption. However, he acknowledged the work of the municipal security department and urged the public not to judge the entire force based on the actions of a few.
Lopez Salazar said that during the current administration, the prosecutor’s office has dismissed 596 public employees, reassigned 1,412 workers based on their profiles, and brought charges against 39 public servants for crimes including abuse of authority, dereliction of duty, and unlawful exercise of public service.
He called on citizens to report any cases of extortion or abuse of authority by public officials, saying public participation is essential to strengthening security and fighting corruption.
