Overview

• On July 31, Gabriel Mendicuti Loría, an imprisoned former Quintana Roo official, accused Carlos Joaquín González and his son of running extortion schemes for cartels during his 2016–2022 governorship.
• Governor Mara Lezama Espinosa’s security council is conducting a preliminary analysis of the claims but has not launched an official investigation or filed any criminal complaints.
• González continues his diplomatic duties at Mexico’s embassy in Ottawa and has not publicly addressed the accusations.
• Data from the national security secretariat show intentional homicides in Quintana Roo rose 180% under González’s administration, highlighting persistent violence concerns.
• Mendicuti’s own criminal conviction for association with illicit activities has intensified scrutiny over the credibility of his testimony and Mexico’s vetting of ambassadors.