Tulum Tourist Horror: Exposed Police Extortion Scandal

Although crime statistics reflect the activities of both organized and common criminals across the country, they should also align with the experiences of citizens and crime victims. In Quintana Roo's Tulum municipality, a rapidly developing real estate hotspot with a growing tourist population, there is a persistent level of violence that suggests a lack of effective public security strategies.

For example, in the first half of 2024, according to the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System, several municipalities in Quintana Roo saw a decrease in crime rates. Lázaro Cárdenas saw a 33.6% decrease, Isla Mujeres 12.7%, Othón P. Blanco 8.8%, Benito Juárez 6.3%, Tulum 4.8%, Felipe Carrillo Puerto 4.4%, and Puerto Morelos 2.3%. However, in Tulum, this slight decrease seems insignificant as residents continue to face murder, theft, armed robbery, and extortion. There is a clear lack of trust in the authorities, particularly the Municipal Police and other public security entities.

On July 15, a post appeared on the Tulum Citizen Observatory's Facebook page, decrying an abuse of power by traffic officers under the municipal government of Diego Castañón Trejo. The poster, a tourist visiting Tulum, recounted an incident where she was mistreated by traffic agents.

She explained that on a Saturday night, after parking their car on the corner of Beta Sur street and Andrómeda Oriente – where there were no 'no parking' signs and other cars were also parked – they went to dinner. During their meal, their car alarm went off, and they discovered that traffic police and a tow truck were attempting to tow their vehicle, claiming it was obstructing the road.

They were forced to leave their meal and go to the Tulum Security Secretariat, where they were asked for documents they did not have as tourists. They were told to pay a fine without receiving a receipt, as the officers were on guard duty and the offices were closed until Monday. After paying the police to release their car, they had to pay additional fees for the tow truck and an expensive taxi ride.

The woman, a photographer, described the incident as an abuse of authority, with unjustified infractions and complicity between the police and tow truck operators.