Mérida authorities arrest firearm suspects and thwart extortion attempt

Authorities in Mérida, Mexico, have addressed two separate criminal incidents involving firearms and extortion.

In the Jardines del Norte neighborhood, state police arrested two men, identified as José “N” and Ramón “N,” after discovering a firearm and 23 rounds of military-grade ammunition inside a parked vehicle. A federal judge has ordered preventative detention for both suspects while federal prosecutors conduct a two-month investigation into the unlicensed possession of restricted weapons.

In a separate incident, the Yucatán Secretariat of Public Security (SSP) responded to an attempted virtual kidnapping at a hotel in the Delio Moreno neighborhood. Workers traveling from another state reported receiving extortion calls designed to make them believe they were being watched or were in danger. Intelligence agents successfully communicated with the group to confirm that both the workers and their families were safe. Police advised the victims to relocate and file formal complaints to assist in tracing the origin of the calls.