Cancún, QR - Benito Juárez municipal authorities are intensifying efforts to halt the sale and promotion of irregular real estate developments in Cancún, identifying 39 suspected projects and moving to shut down those operating outside the legal framework. The investigations, led by the Secretariat of Ecology and Urban Development under Nahielli Margarita Orozco Lozano, are focused on settlements aggressively marketed without the required permits, often advertised via public banners and social media.
Orozco Lozano said each of the 39 developments is under individual review. Inspections stem from a mix of citizen reports, direct inquiries by authorities, and cross-referencing location data with legal status records. So far, the municipal government has closed five developments and filed three criminal complaints with the Prosecutor’s Office for planning and permit violations; another four remain under active review.
Many of the flagged settlements sit in fast-growing corridors such as the Airport Bypass (libramiento) and Huayacán Avenue, areas drawing investor interest and sharp capital appreciation. Officials warn that growth there has often outpaced regulatory compliance, creating fertile ground for fraud and illegal lot sales.
A recent high-profile example is the closure of the development promoted as “Cataluña,” located along the Cancún–Mérida federal highway. Authorities determined the project was offering residential lots without land use authorizations, construction licenses, or the basic environmental and infrastructure studies required to legally subdivide and sell property. The shutdown followed citizen complaints and a joint review by municipal inspectors.
To strengthen enforcement, the municipality is coordinating with state and federal entities, including the Federal Attorney’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa), the Secretariat of Sustainable Urban Territorial Development (Sedetus), and the federal environmental prosecutor’s office (PPA). That multi-level cooperation is intended to combine intelligence, legal leverage, and on-the-ground operational capacity to sustain a permanent closure program.
Orozco Lozano warned prospective buyers of the pitfalls of acquiring land in these irregular developments. She said even if a buyer is eventually handed a lot, the risks remain: many parcels lack the density designation or infrastructure to support housing, and essential services are missing. “Look, in the best-case scenario, they'll give them their lot, yes, they will, but the problem is that when they want to build a house, they won't be able to, because many of them don't have the density for housing. There's also a lack of services, with no drinking water or sewage connections, no lighting, and no other services,” she said.
The secretary urged the public to verify a property's legal status with municipal authorities before committing to a purchase. She noted that while many transactions still proceed without due diligence, inquiries have increased: the Secretariat now receives at least two requests per week from citizens asking about suspicious developments or submitting complaints.
The detection methods have evolved beyond traditional tip lines. Officials are monitoring social media listings, physical advertising like banners and signs on public roads, and, in earlier phases of the broader irregular development crackdown, using tools such as drone mapping to spot unauthorized subdivisions and changes to land without permits.
The municipal closure program is described as ongoing and permanent. Authorities have emphasized that each irregular development discovered triggers follow-up operations, and enforcement aims for consistent pressure—targeting at least one action every few weeks when new violations surface.
Buyers are being advised to demand full documentation, confirm land use and environmental clearances, and, if necessary, seek legal guidance before purchasing. The broader risk, officials warn, is not only the potential loss of investment but also becoming entangled in legal disputes or being left with unusable land.
As the investigation into the 39 developments continues, the message from the city is clear: informal real estate promotions that sidestep regulations will face closure, and citizens who spot suspicious activity are being asked to report it so the cycle of detection and enforcement can keep pace with market pressures.
Cancún news, real estate fraud, urban development, Nahielli Orozco Lozano, illegal land sales, Cataluña closure, environmental protection, citizen reporting
