Tulum Cartel Leaders Captured in Police Raids

Tulum, Mexico — State authorities have detained ten individuals allegedly linked to a criminal group identified as a primary generator of violence in this tourist destination. The arrests were made during separate operations in the city, according to State Prosecutor Raciel López Salazar.

Among the first individuals detained are 33-year-old Eva Marina, 26-year-old Laura Angélica, 25-year-old Nahim, alias “El Negro,” 23-year-old Alexis, alias “Thor,” 20-year-old Martín, alias “Jossa,” and 20-year-old Sofía.

During the operations, authorities seized one 9-millimeter firearm, various doses of crack cocaine, marijuana, crystal meth, and an Aveo-model vehicle. Ballistic tests confirmed that the confiscated pistol was used in the armed attack on August 16 at a Tulum bar, where three people were killed in incidents related to a dispute over control of retail drug sales.

According to the investigation, Alexis, alias “Thor” and/or “Toro,” acted as the leader of this criminal cell and has an active arrest warrant for homicide and attempted homicide related to an attack on June 13 in the Colonia Centro neighborhood.

For their part, Eva Marina and Laura Angélica were engaged in retail drug sales and allegedly acted as “halcones,” or lookouts, tasked with monitoring and reporting the movements of rivals and authorities.

In a second operation, 38-year-old Pedro Antonio, 24-year-old Ángel Andrei, alias “La Pulga,” 20-year-old Ricardo Adrián, and 20-year-old Félix, alias “Charco,” were captured. Two 9-millimeter firearms were confiscated from them, along with marijuana, crack cocaine, crystal meth, and pink cocaine.

The prosecutor highlighted that “El Charco” is believed to be linked to both the execution of a taxi driver on July 27 and the bar attack on August 16.

The ten detainees were presented before a control judge. The first six were ordered to be held in preventative custody as a matter of course, while the latter four were placed in justified preventative custody.