Cancun, Q.R. — Beach raids like the ones being done in Cancun could also happen in other areas such as Playa del Carmen and Tulum. The State Secretary for Public Security, Lucio Hernández Gutiérrez, says he anticipates these coordinated safe beach operations to expand to these other municipalities where they too, face similar issues of organized crime taking over federal beach space.
Hernández Gutiérrez added that they are in the process of integrating several corresponding complaints that have been filed in those municipalities. Once complete, the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) would be able to organize a similar operation that would see the recovery of those public spaces.
He says some of these beach areas have been taken over by criminals who use the areas, which are normally reserved for business concessions, for illegal practices such as drug sales and extortion. During the beach raid, dozens of police remove beach furniture and demolish illegal buildings.
“So far we have only acted here in the northern area but we are going to move to the central area of Playa del Carmen and Tulum, which have a similar problem, and where necessary, we will be acting accordingly in a forceful way,” he said.
The last raid by Cancun police was, for a second time, at Playa Delfines in the Cancun Hotel Zone. On July 30, police arrived with trucks and heavy machinery to remove furniture and demolish illegal buildings. A navy ship sat offshore in the event of jet ski escape attempts. For the first time since the raids began earlier in the year, arrests were made.
