# Kidnapping of Cuban nationals in Cancún

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/kidnapping-of-cuban-nationals-in-cancn
> Updated: 2026-09-05T20:10:25.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2.

Authorities in Cancún, Mexico, have addressed multiple incidents involving the kidnapping and extortion of Cuban nationals.

In one case, two Cuban men, Yosbel Lázaro Planas Pita and Roinel Morejón Rodríguez, were sentenced to four years and six months in prison for the aggravated illegal deprivation of liberty. The crime occurred in April 2024, when the victim was held in a residence in the Los Héroes subdivision and his family was demanded $8,000 USD.

In a separate incident, police and military forces rescued four Cuban nationals—two men and two women—who were being held hostage and tortured in the Valle Verde neighborhood. Investigators found that the captors used social media job advertisements to lure victims to Quintana Roo and sent videos of beatings to families in Cuba to demand $5,000 per person. Five suspects were apprehended and handed over to the Special Prosecutor's Office for Combating Kidnapping and Extortion.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-05: Cancun police rescue four Cuban hostages held for ransom

Four Cuban nationals were rescued in Cancun after being held hostage and tortured by captors who demanded $5,000 per person from their families in Cuba via ransom videos.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/cancun-police-rescue-four-cuban-hostages-held-for-ransom

### 2026-08-31: Two Cubans sentenced to prison for kidnapping in Cancún

Two Cuban men were sentenced to four and a half years in prison for kidnapping a fellow Cuban national in Cancún and demanding an $8,000 ransom.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/two-cubans-sentenced-to-prison-for-kidnapping-in-cancn

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Cite as: Kidnapping of Cuban nationals in Cancún. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/kidnapping-of-cuban-nationals-in-cancn