Quintana Roo crime rate ranks third nationally with 17,560 alleged offences Jan–Apr 2025 and a 3.5 % April decline, spotlighting theft, extortion, and violence.
Quintana Roo sits third among Mexico’s 32 states in crime incidence, logging 17,560 reports of alleged offences from January 1 through April 30—an average of 4,390 per month and a rate of 215.17 incidents per 100,000 residents. In April alone, the state registered a 3.5 percent drop compared with April 2024, signaling a modest improvement in public safety.
Overall theft accounted for 3,909 of those reports—roughly 32 thefts per day—of which 96 involved violence (about 24 violent thefts per month), according to the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (SESNSP).
Breaking down the theft figures further, authorities say:
- Four-wheeled vehicle thefts topped the list with 886 cars stolen, though only 42 were taken by force, most in Cancún.
- Business robberies reached 713 incidents, 326 of them violent.
- Motorcycle thefts numbered 615, including 25 violent cases.
- Residential burglaries accounted for 391 reports, 28 involving forced entry.
Last week, state police arrested César Ricardo “N” on suspicion of orchestrating the armed robbery and subsequent arson of a Cometra cash-in-transit van in the Zona Maya, recovering nearly 4 million pesos. Investigators believe the heist was planned with possible inside help from company employees and have opened a formal investigation.
Authorities also recalled a similar May 2022 incident at Plaza Las Américas in Cancún, when an alleged Cometra employee walked away with 4.6 million pesos in a viral video that fueled speculation of an inside job. Security footage showed the suspect calmly removing two black bags of cash in under a minute.
According to the National Crime Light Indicator, Quintana Roo remains in the red zone for extortion, small-scale drug dealing and domestic violence; yellow for rape, assault and general theft; and green for homicides, kidnappings and femicides. Last year, all categories were in the red, marking this year’s shift as a notable step toward curbing criminal activity.
“Security is only for the privileged class,” residents in Cancún lament, underscoring the sense of unease that many locals feel as they adapt to life amid persistent violence.
