U.S. Tourists Bribed at Tulum Police Checkpoint, Tarnishing Destination's Reputation
U.S. tourists in Tulum, Quintana Roo, were recently coerced into paying a bribe at a police checkpoint. The incident, which occurred in late September 2025, has sparked outrage among locals and tourists alike, tarnishing Tulum's reputation and driving away international visitors.
The tourists were stopped at a checkpoint and told their digital driver's license was invalid. They were threatened with a 36-hour detention unless they paid a fine on the spot. The bribe was processed through a Clip bank terminal registered under the name 'SSC-Tulum', totaling $1,100 USD, approximately 20,000 pesos.
The authority behind the checkpoint, 'SSC-Tulum', is the Secretaría de Seguridad Ciudadana (SSC) of Tulum. The use of official banking equipment for extortion has led citizen organizations to suspect a more organized and systemic abuse of power. Despite the public outcry, the Tulum Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection has not issued an official statement regarding the incident.
The bribery incident has caused significant damage to Tulum's reputation as a tourist destination. Citizen organizations have called for a thorough investigation into the matter, suspecting a more widespread issue of corruption within the local security forces.
