Two US tourists reported being extorted at a police checkpoint in Tulum, part of the tourist mecca known as the Mayan Riviera.
They were stopped by municipal officers while driving on Saturday morning on Kukulkan Avenue, the main road connecting downtown Tulum to the beachfront.
The officers demanded the driver’s license of the tourist behind the wheel.
When the American produced a digital copy, the officers insisted on the physical document.
The officers declared that failure to produce it was grounds for a 36-hour detention unless they paid $1,100 on the spot.
Feeling intimidated, the tourists complied and were charged $1,094.50 through a card reader.
Traffic police throughout Mexico are notorious for soliciting bribes.
On 16 May, three traffic officers reportedly detained an Italian tourist in Cancun at an undisclosed traffic violation.
They demanded a 50,000 peso ($2,566) bribe to not jail him and impound his car.
The victim complied.
He reported the incident to the Italian Consulate in Cancun and subsequently to the State Attorney General’s Office.
Arrest warrants were later issued for the three officers.
Complicating matters, Mexican law requires that drivers involved in accidents resulting in any material damage or bodily harm be held until damages are paid.
Visitors are discouraged from self-driving in Mexico.
Those who insist on driving should follow traffic laws and regulations to the letter.
If pulled over, personnel should comply with bribery demands to the extent possible, then report the shakedown to US consular officers.
