Tulum, Quintana Roo — Business owners and tourists in this Caribbean resort town say they are being extorted not by drug cartels but by local authorities, including police and health inspectors, as the municipality grapples with a historic sargassum seaweed crisis.
In interviews with Milenio, merchants said they had largely eliminated organized crime protection payments through collective efforts, only to see local officials step in to fill the void.
Tourists who brave the seaweed-choked beaches face harassment from municipal police, according to multiple accounts. Mayor Diego Castañón promised in a June 23 press conference to crack down on corruption, saying, “We’ve heard on social media that many officers have been extorting. Right now we have two who are already leaving because of it. We’ll do the same in traffic. I won’t allow this anymore.” But complaints continue.
British Couple Forced to Pay $21,000 MXN Bribe
Steve and Claudia, a British couple visiting in November, said they were stopped at a police checkpoint after riding a rented motorcycle to dinner near the Parque del Jaguar. They had consumed two beers before eating and walking.
Steve said he passed a breathalyzer test with a reading below 0.2 mg/L — well under the legal limit of 0.4 mg/L — but officers told him he would be detained for 48 hours. They then demanded a 21,000-peso (about $1,100 USD) fine, offering a “discount” if paid on the spot.
“They had a card terminal machine. When it didn’t work, they put us on speakerphone with a man who had an American accent. He said we had to do a Revolut transfer. So we did. No receipt, no paperwork — just ‘you can go,’” Steve recounted. “They told us if we canceled the transfer, we wouldn’t make it out of the airport.”
The couple said the experience ruined their vacation. “We will never return to Mexico. Never. And we would never recommend anyone go to Tulum,” Steve said.
Tulum’s traffic regulations set the legal blood alcohol limit at 0.8 g/L and breath alcohol at 0.4 mg/L, with a fine of 30 days’ minimum wage and referral to the public prosecutor. None of those procedures were followed, the couple said.
Inspectors Target Businesses
In recent months, inspections by the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) have intensified at hotels, restaurants, and other businesses. Owners say inspectors are looking for any pretext to impose fines that can be converted into bribes.
“They’re killing Tulum. There’s no political will. Now you have to pay protection money to the authorities — municipal, state, federal,” said a business leader who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Fines range from 20,000 to 50,000 pesos. One common tactic involves water testing: inspectors allegedly bring pre-failed samples to justify penalties. “The inspector arrives, does the test, and it turns out he already had the test result with him,” the business leader said.
Small businesses are also targeted. Israel, owner of a vegan taco stand, said inspectors “get on their knees with a flashlight looking under the stove for something to find.” He added, “The law is being used as an instrument of extortion: either pay 50,000 pesos for the legal route or 5,000 monthly.”
Many entrepreneurs have abandoned the once-thriving tourist destination, which was known as a natural and financial paradise.
