Wanted Murder Suspect Worked as Police Officer in Playa del Carmen for Years

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — A man wanted for a 2020 murder in Veracruz worked as an active-duty police officer in Playa del Carmen for over five years before authorities arrested him earlier this month, raising serious questions about security vetting procedures.

Prosecutors captured Noel “R,” known by the alias “El Perrero,” on February 4. The 44-year-old had been a fugitive since November 2020, when authorities issued an arrest warrant for his alleged involvement in a homicide in Agua Dulce, Veracruz. Despite the outstanding warrant, he managed to join the Playa del Carmen Municipal Police force under the local Public Security Department.

The crime he is accused of occurred on November 14, 2020. According to the investigation file, the suspect—who had previously served as a police officer in Agua Dulce—arrived with an accomplice at a home in the town’s Centro neighborhood. The assailants forced their way inside and shot Alejandro Herrera Villalón in the chest, killing him instantly before fleeing on an unlicensed motorcycle.

After the murder, “El Perrero” left Veracruz and relocated to Mexico’s Caribbean coast. He successfully bypassed background checks and rejoined law enforcement in Solidaridad municipality, where he was employed at the time of his arrest.

Following his detention, authorities presented the suspect before a judge under case number 331/2023. The court ruled the arrest legal and ordered him held in preventive detention for one year while his legal status is determined and his alleged role in the 2020 shooting is clarified.

The case has triggered alarms about the effectiveness of national background check platforms and trustworthiness exams for local police forces. Investigators continue working to locate the second suspect in the homicide and to determine how a fugitive obtained an armed public position in one of the country’s most important tourist zones.