A corruption network within the Directorate of Protection against Health Risks of the Yucatán Health Services has been exposed following an irregular operation mounted against the Sonora Grill restaurant in Mérida. Inspectors and a senior official from the agency were identified and exposed for fabricating violations, placing arbitrary seals, and demanding multimillion-dollar bribes in exchange for allowing the business to reopen.
The modus operandi: irregular inspections that end in extortion
On September 12, 2025, inspectors from the Directorate of Protection against Health Risks of the Yucatán Health Services entered the restaurant without a properly substantiated report and under threat.
During the supposed inspection, which lasted more than an hour and a half, they began fabricating irregularities, claiming they had found cigarette butts in trash cans outside the establishment that did not belong to the restaurant. They also performed water chlorination studies at the shopping plaza where Sonora Grill is located. They flagged this as a non-compliance by the business. Their intention was clear: to find any excuse to close the establishment and then charge for opening it.
That same night, in a flagrant abuse of authority, they placed seals on the main and supplier doors, blocking all access to the restaurant, negligently leaving perishable goods, gas, and water taps unattended.
A High-Ranking Official’s Corrupt Offer
The case took a more serious turn when, on September 17, 2025, the Deputy Director of Health Control and Promotion, Abraham Antonio Puch Cardeña, met privately with the company representative, but not before taking his cell phone so they could speak “in private” and ensure the extortion wouldn’t be recorded.
Once inside, Puch Cardeña, in a low voice, demanded $520,000 pesos from the establishment to remove the seals and, in addition, a monthly fee of $30,000 pesos to “maintain protection during future inspections,” threatening to block the restaurant from reopening if it didn’t accept his terms.
The threats were ultimately carried out, and the restaurant was formally fined one of the highest in the region, more than $490,000 pesos. Sonora Grill decided to pay it legally and transparently, refusing to concede to any corruption.
Complaint in Defense of Legality
Sonora Grill executives stated that these types of practices do not represent the values of the current government or the transparency policy promoted in Mexico, but rather corrupt officials who use their authority to enrich themselves at the expense of businesses and working families.
“This is not about pointing fingers at the institutions, but rather an open complaint against those who dirty them from within. It is our duty to call out the corrupt so that they stop extorting more businesses in the region.
We have already filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office, presenting indisputable evidence of the extortion we were subjected to, and we will pursue it to the fullest extent possible,” stated Grupo Sonora Grill.
Corruption as a brake on regional development
This case reveals an alarming pattern: inspectors who turn health inspections into a clandestine business. For its part, Grupo Sonora Grill called on Dr. Domitilo Carballo Cámara, Director of Health Risk Protection, to investigate and sanction the officials in question, in line with the national policy of zero tolerance for corruption.
This type of act jeopardizes business confidence, leads to job losses for hundreds of families in the region, and hinders investment in Yucatán.
Source: solyucatan
