New apartment buildings, timeshares, and resorts are popping up all over Yucatán’s coast.Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

In a bold move that signals a major shift in Mexico’s approach to environmental protection, the Federal Attorney’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) has launched an aggressive campaign against unauthorized real estate developments along the picturesque Yucatán coast.

“All works that aren’t authorized will have to be demolished,” declared Marina Boy Tamborrel, head of Profepa, during a recent meeting with Maya peoples in Ixil. This no-nonsense stance represents a dramatic departure from previous enforcement efforts that developers had learned to circumvent.

For years, wealthy developers have treated environmental fines as simply another line item in their budgets—a minor inconvenience easily absorbed by their profit margins. Tamborrel acknowledged this problem directly: “There are companies that allocate part of their budget to pay these fines and then continue operating; offenders prefer to pay the fine rather than request a permit.”

But those days appear to be ending. Profepa has already closed four real estate developments in Puerto Vallarta and promises similar action along all of Mexico’s coastal states. The agency’s new philosophy prioritizes environmental restoration over monetary penalties.

“The Attorney General’s new vision is to order the repair of the damage; it’s a priority,” Tamborrel explained, emphasizing that fines alone have proven insufficient to protect fragile coastal ecosystems.

Critical situation in Yucatán

The announcement comes as environmental officials prepare to assess damage in Sisal, where a staggering 23,000 hectares were recently devastated. The scale of this destruction highlights the urgent need for more stringent enforcement.

During the Ixil meeting, Tamborrel and Deputy Commissioner Wilberth Nahuat of Santa María Chi discussed the severe impacts suffered by local communities. They identified farms and irregular real estate developments as “the most critical issues” requiring immediate attention in Yucatan.

Of particular concern are projects operating without an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), a required document that assesses potential ecological consequences before construction begins.

Defiant developers

The crackdown faces significant challenges from developers determined to continue construction at any cost. Tamborrel cited one particularly troubling case involving a residential complex in Ixil: “We have open administrative files and we identified that they carried out new construction, so they did not respect the closure seals.”

This blatant disregard for legal orders demonstrates the entrenched resistance Profepa must overcome in its mission to protect Mexico’s coastal environment.

Recognizing that government agencies alone cannot monitor Mexico’s extensive coastline, officials are actively encouraging citizen participation in enforcement efforts. Residents can report violations via phone (800 776 33 72), email (denuncias@profepa.gob.mx), or through an online portal.

This community-based approach acknowledges the crucial role local populations play in identifying illegal activities that threaten both the environment and their way of life.

A new environmental era?

While it remains to be seen whether Profepa can successfully implement its ambitious enforcement agenda, the agency’s tough rhetoric and initial actions in Puerto Vallarta suggest a genuine commitment to reversing decades of unchecked coastal development.

For Mexico’s fragile coastal ecosystems and the communities that depend on them, this shift from symbolic fines to actual demolition of illegal structures could represent the dawn of a new era in environmental protection—one where developers can no longer treat ecological regulations as optional.

As Tamborrel promised the gathered residents of Ixil, “We will be very vigilant. It is a commitment and an obligation.”

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