Xibalba Pet Crematorium Case Continues Despite Court Ruling, Lawyer Says

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — A federal court ruling that overturned one charge against a man connected to the Xibalba pet crematorium does not close the broader investigation, according to the lawyer for alleged victims.

Abraham Torres Tello said the amparo ruling, issued in case 345/2026, applies only to the accusation that Guillermo Alejandro Yah Navarrete practiced veterinary medicine without a license. The ruling does not cancel the case or nullify the other investigations, he said.

Judge Reyna Oliva Fuentes López of the Sixth District Court of Quintana Roo found that the State Prosecutor’s Office did not prove Yah Navarrete presented himself as a veterinarian when performing cremations. The court also noted that cremation does not necessarily require a veterinarian because the process involves reducing a body to ashes in a crematory furnace.

The case became public in October 2025, after clients of the Chetumal business filed complaints about irregularities in the remains they received. In one case, the owner of a dog named Pelusa said he received a container that supposedly held the animal’s ashes but later found dirt inside.

Torres Tello said more than 300 complaints have been filed in connection with the crematorium, and roughly 80 case files have been turned over to a control judge. Each complaint, he said, is being reviewed individually based on the evidence and testimony in the file.

He acknowledged that poorly built case files or vague statements could weaken accusations during court proceedings. He urged affected clients not to interpret the ruling as an exoneration and to consult their lawyers before drawing any conclusions.