Cancun, Q.R. — A Cancun transit officer reported for asking for 11,000 pesos from tourists in exchange for no traffic ticket has been fired. The incident happened over the weekend and was captured on video by a Cancun resident.
The American man and woman were driving on José López Portillo Avenue when they were pulled over by the motorcycle officer. A local man who was walking by caught wind of what was happening and stopped to video after he heard the request for the bribe.
In the video, the citizen captured the Cancun traffic officer on motorcycle M-508 who spoke English to the tourists. He can be heard asking them for more than 11,000 pesos ($630 USD) to be let go and not be ticketed and towed.
The Mexican man who stopped to video tells the tourists that what the officer is doing is illegal and that they shouldn’t give him a single peso.
The Cancun transit officer did not get money from the couple he tried to bribe. He left the scene when he realized he was being videoed.
According to Cancun Mayor Ana Paty Peralta, the city transit officer has since been identified and let go from his position. Mayor Peralta said in a video released Monday, that there will be no tolerance for corruption and called on citizens to report abuses of authority.
“In Cancun we have a zero-tolerance policy for corruption. Anyone who abuses their position, violates the law, or betrays the public’s trust will face the consequences of their actions.
“The traffic officer caught on video soliciting money from tourists has been dismissed from the force.
“We thank those who reported this incident. Their participation was crucial in ensuring that this case did not go unpunished. In our government, we listen, we prevent, and we act.”
