Four members of a suspected cartel-connected kidnapping cell were arrested over the past weekend in Cancún. They reportedly posed as police detectives.

Police in Benito Juarez reported the arrests of four suspected cartel-connected kidnappers, according to local sources. Police said they received an anonymous 911 call of a possible kidnapping in the Supermanzana 259 section of Cancún at approximately 2:15 pm. The report indicated that four armed men dressed as plainclothes officers forced an unknown male victim into a white Jeep Compass and sped off. A short distance away, elements of the Quintana Roo State Police spotted the Jeep on Avenida 20 de Noviembre in Región 212 with occupants therein. The Jeep initially refused to stop before yielding to police orders.

Police arrested the four suspected kidnappers and rescued an unknown victim. The suspects were identified as Octavio, Ricardo, Carlos Iván, and Kevin Hazael. Also secured were four firearms with corresponding magazines. Police also discovered balaclavas, handcuffs, and tactical headgear. The victim received medical treatment for injuries sustained at the hands of his captors. Some reports indicate the victim is a relative of a ministerial police agent.

The kidnappers reportedly identified themselves as ministerial police agents when they accosted the victim, according to officials. They were turned over to investigative agents of the state attorney general’s office to face charges of kidnapping, weapons, and impersonating police. Mexico is seeing a steady uptick in reported kidnappings nationwide.

According to Breitbart Texas law enforcement sources, Central American migrants traveling through Mexico to the U.S. border also face extortion by kidnapping gangs.

Robert Arce is a retired Phoenix Police detective with extensive experience working Mexican organized crime and street gangs. Arce completed work assignments in the Balkans, Iraq, Haiti, and recently completed a three-year tour in Monterrey, Mexico, for the U.S. Department of State, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Program. As the Regional Program Manager for Northeast Mexico in charge of the Mexican states of, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Durango, San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas) You can follow him on Twitter or reach him at robertrarce@gmail.com