A judge from the Oral Trial Court in Cancún, Quintana Roo, sentenced Yosbel Lázaro Planas Pita and Roinel Morejón Rodríguez —both of Cuban nationality— to four years and six months in prison for kidnapping a fellow countryman and demanding 8,000 dollars from his family in exchange for his release.
The ruling was announced by the head of the Attorney General's Office of Quintana Roo (FGE) during the press conference of the Peace Table Cabinet, as reported by local media.
How did the kidnapping happen?
The events date back to mid-April 2024, when the victim —whose identity was kept confidential throughout the process— arrived in Cancún.
Shortly after her arrival, she was taken against her will to a property in the Los Héroes subdivision, located in Supermanzana 224 of the Benito Juárez municipality.
There, according to the FGE, the individuals now sentenced "proceeded to confine him and intimidate him under threats of harming his life if his family did not deliver the amount of eight thousand US dollars."
The victim remained immobilized and under constant surveillance inside the home until, in a moment of carelessness from her captors, she was able to scream for help towards the outside.
The distress call prompted the immediate intervention of police forces who entered the property, rescued the victim, and caught Planas Pita and Morejón Rodríguez in the act.
The ruling and the controversy over classification
After evaluating the evidence presented by the Prosecutor's Office during the Oral Trial hearing, the judge determined the full criminal responsibility of both men and imposed a sentence of four years and six months in prison for the crime of aggravated illegal deprivation of liberty.
However, the conviction raised questions in local media and social networks, precisely due to the disparity between the described facts and the legal framework used.
The portal Diario Cambio 22 directly pointed out that “this sentence of four years and six months is low considering the seriousness of the events, as the prosecuting authority did not charge the crime of kidnapping, only requesting prosecution for unlawful deprivation of liberty.”
The distinction has enormous criminal consequences: in Mexico, kidnapping with ransom demands carries a prison sentence of 20 to 40 years—and up to 80 years in aggravated cases—according to the General Law for the Prevention and Punishment of Kidnapping-related Crimes.
However, unlawful deprivation of liberty, even when aggravated, carries significantly lesser penalties.
The portal QR Ahora raised the question that many are asking: "Why, if there was a demand of 8,000 dollars in exchange for the victim's freedom, was the case not prosecuted as kidnapping?"
The FGE did not offer a public explanation regarding that classification decision.
A recurring pattern in Quintana Roo
One of the elements that stood out the most in the case is that both the perpetrators and the victim are Cuban, which distinguishes it from the more common patterns of extortion against migrants.
Cancún has become a recurring scene for this type of crime against fellow citizens.
In June 2023, ten Cuban rafters were kidnapped in Mexico with a demand of 9,000 dollars.
In July 2025, three Cubans managed to escape from a safe house in Cancun and sought assistance from the National Guard.
Journalistic investigations have also documented how the Cuban mafia operates in Quintana Roo, a network active since at least 2009 dedicated to trafficking, kidnapping, and extorting migrant compatriots, with ransom demands of up to 10,000 dollars from relatives residing in the United States.
According to Article 13 of the National Code of Criminal Procedure, the sentence against Planas Pita and Morejón Rodríguez can still be confirmed, modified, or revoked by a higher instance, as clarified by the FGE in its official statements.
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