Four boats and four jet skis have been agreed upon for sea surveillance.
Security in Cancún, one of Mexico’s main tourist destinations, will be reinforced with 600 personnel from the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) who have already arrived in the state as part of the inter-institutional security strategy agreed upon between the state and federal governments.
Mara Lezama Espinosa, governor of Quintana Roo, mentioned that four boats and four jet skis from the Navy have also been agreed upon to conduct sea surveillance operations.
“The admiral secretary (Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles) immediately gave instructions for four Navy boats and four jet skis to come, which have already arrived.”
She detailed that the objective is to patrol 25 kilometers of Cancún’s coast, as well as the continental part of Isla Mujeres to Puerto Juárez.
The governor mentioned that these reinforcements from Semar are due to her informing Secretary Morales Ángeles about some cases where alleged criminals arrive by sea to commit crimes, prompting her to request help from the federal official, who responded immediately.
Regarding the meeting with Omar García Harfuch, Secretary of Citizen Security and Protection, and the head of Semar, Lezama Espinosa considered that it “demonstrates the commitment” to Quintana Roo, as she ensured that Cancún was included in the priority cities in the first 100 days security plan.
“The objective is to work as a team. The truth is that there is a very clear strategy, and I want to make it clear that we have unconditional support, directly in communication with the admiral secretary, the security secretary, and their entire team.”
Ana Patricia Peralta de la Peña, municipal president of Benito Juárez, commented that this group will be distributed both on the streets of Cancún and at sea.
“The 600 marines will be distributed in Cancún (…) The strategy and request is for presence both at sea and on the streets of our city, with foot patrols to cover the city, which is the most important.”
She acknowledged that the objective of the Semar personnel’s arrival is to reduce crime rates and the perception of insecurity in the city.
Additionally, the mayor mentioned that it is the municipality’s responsibility to provide all facilities for the accommodation of the 600 marines in Cancún, demonstrating that the strategy establishes coordinated work between the three levels of government.
Finally, Peralta de la Peña commented that the municipal government will continue to strengthen the Secretariat of Citizen Security with projects such as providing body cameras for all municipal police officers to monitor their performance, as well as a project to “dignify the police building” and continue improving police officers’ salaries.
Source: Sipse
