Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — Federal officials have seized a real estate project in Playa del Carmen on allegations of environmental damage. The project, located in the residential area of Playacar, is under federal confiscation after more than a year of ongoing issues.
The Attorney General of the Republic (FGR) has seized the Macondo Playacar development in Playa del Carmen, while officials from the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) closed it down due to irregularities.
The irregularities noted include the removal of mangrove and native vegetation within a coastal ecosystem, allegedly without the Authorization for Change of Land Use in Forest Lands (CUSTF) or the federal Environmental Impact Statement (MIA).
The operation was carried out October 7, 2026 by members of the Federal Ministerial Police and experts from the Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC), assigned to the Playa del Carmen sub-office, accompanied by inspectors from Profepa.
During the inspection, members of the National Defense Secretariat (Sedena), the Navy Secretariat (Semar) and National Guard established a security perimeter to allow the inspection.
As a result, authorities seized machinery, folders with documentation, and the property where Macondo Playacar is being developed, as part of the investigations.
The Macondo Playacar real estate project in Playa del Carmen consists of 80 units across eight towers.
The federal and state combined operation happened Thursday afternoon where federal authorities executed a search warrant as part of their investigation.
The intervention comes after accusations of non-compliance when, in 2025, the real estate project received a definitive suspension from a federal judge who ordered construction work to be halted while the legal proceedings continue.
Federal officials were brought in after inspectors noted that a previously imposed safety measure, consisting of the total temporary closure of the site, was allegedly violated.
This provision was intended to prevent possible damage or risks to the ecosystem, however, the reported events prompted the start of federal investigations.
Last month, Óscar Rébora, the State the Secretary of Ecology and Environment, said a review was underway to determine if building permits for the Playacar development will be permanently revoked.
The complaint against the project is still under investigation by the FGR (Fiscalía General de la República).
