Yucatán is considered one of the states with the best quality of life, something largely due to its security strategy. Part of this effort is reflected in the fight against street-level drug dealing, with operations that have resulted in the seizure of tons of drugs and significant arrests.
According to official information from the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE), the Secretariat of Public Security (SSP), and federal forces, these successes were achieved thanks to anonymous tips, investigations, coordinated actions, and highway checkpoints.
Governor Joaquín Díaz Mena has called for redoubled efforts and for remaining one step ahead to preserve the peace and tranquility of Yucatecan families, so that the state continues to be a national leader in security throughout 2026.
One of the most significant busts occurred between November 2024 and January 2025, when state authorities seized more than 450 kilograms of drugs in various operations carried out in Mérida and its metropolitan area, including Kanasín, Umán, and Conkal.
Subsequently, in 2025, seizures reached unprecedented levels, with more than 2.2 tons of narcotics confiscated that year alone, including marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamines, crack, and fentanyl. This represented an economic impact of more than 200 million pesos on distribution networks.
In January 2025, at least six significant busts resulted in the arrest of 16 people for the sale and distribution of drugs in Yucatán. Among these arrests was that of Helbert Armando Bautista Epitacio, alias “El Rey,” identified as the leader of a cell dedicated to street-level drug dealing in various parts of the state.
Furthermore, during the first half of 2025, the Yucatán State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) reported multiple indictments for possession of narcotics with intent to distribute, primarily in municipalities such as Mérida and Umán.
On November 5, 2025, members of the Army, National Guard, Navy, and state police seized 21 kilograms of methamphetamine on a bus in Halachó, Yucatán, valued at over 5.6 million pesos, and arrested two people.
That same day, in the San Damián neighborhood of Mérida, a search warrant was executed, resulting in the arrest of five suspected drug dealers, as part of the security strategy to curb drug trafficking and strengthen surveillance in the state.
One of the largest operations took place in late November 2025, when state and federal forces seized a drug shipment hidden in a truck on the Campeche-Mérida highway. They confiscated marijuana, crystal meth, and crack cocaine, with an estimated value of 69 million pesos, and arrested two people.
This bust highlighted the importance of the southeastern highways for drug trafficking and the authorities’ strategy to curb the flow of large shipments into Yucatán.
Source: posta
