A couple in Yucatán has been sent to pretrial detention after prosecutors say they collected payments from multiple buyers for lots in a residential development that never existed.
The Yucatán State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) announced that Noemí Evangelina Llanes Lizama (alias Noemi Evangelina Lañez Lizaama) and Víctor Joel Castilla García have been formally linked to criminal proceedings on fraud charges, the result of a scheme allegedly carried out between July 2021 and June 2022. During that period, the pair marketed and sold lots in a purported residential complex in Seyé, a municipality roughly 30 kilometers southeast of Mérida.
The suspects presented the project to potential buyers as an exclusive development in the heart of Yucatán. Purchase contracts were signed, and money changed hands — but according to the FGE, neither defendant had any intention of subdividing the land or honoring those contracts. Victims eventually filed complaints, which led to the opening of criminal investigation case 293/2026.
Charges and Detention
Prosecutors presented evidence at a preliminary hearing before the Second Control Judge at Mérida’s Oral Justice Center, who ruled that the case was sufficient to proceed to trial. The judge ordered both defendants held in justified preventive detention while the investigation continues. A three-month window was set for the supplementary investigation to wrap up.
Seyé sits in the interior of Yucatán — far from the coastline but within the broader zone of real estate expansion tied to Mérida’s growth. The municipality is connected to the capital by the highway that passes through Acanceh and has seen increased interest in development in recent years.
Part of a Larger Pattern
The Seyé case is far from an isolated incident. Yucatán’s real estate market has been plagued by fraudulent development schemes, particularly as the region has attracted buyers from across Mexico, the United States, Canada, and Europe. One of the most high-profile cases — the Pedregales de Misnébalam development north of Mérida — left hundreds of buyers without promised homes or land, with total losses estimated at more than 500 million pesos. Separately, the Ciudad Maderas de la Península project near Progreso ensnared thousands of investors, many of them from outside Yucatán, lured by promises of high-value lots at accessible prices.
The Colegio Notarial de Yucatán has recorded nearly 200 cases of real estate fraud in a single year across Mérida and surrounding municipalities. Common tactics include falsified notarial seals, sellers impersonating property owners, and the creation of shell companies to conduct transactions that were never legitimate.
Licensing Rules Aim to Reduce Risk
The state government has moved to tighten the sector. Yucatán became the 25th Mexican state to require real estate licensing when new regulations took effect last year, mandating that agents, brokers, and consultants register with Insejupy, the state’s legal and patrimonial security institute, and complete at least 50 hours of specialized training. Only about 400 of the roughly 5,000 intermediaries operating in the state had been certified when the rules were announced.
Even with licensing requirements on the books, enforcement remains uneven. Analysts have noted that Yucatán’s environmental and urban planning agency — the Procuraduría de Justicia Ambiental y Urbana — was created in 2023 but has yet to be meaningfully implemented under either of the last two administrations.
For buyers considering a property purchase in the state, consumer and industry groups continue to warn that presale contracts and new development projects carry particular risk. One Yucatecan architect notes an increase in scams where buyers pay in advance but construction never starts — or the developer simply disappears.
Fast Facts
- Suspects: Noemí Evangelina Llanes Lizama (alias Noemi Evangelina Lañez Lizaama) and Víctor Joel Castilla García charged with fraud
- Location: Seyé, approximately 30 km southeast of Mérida
- Alleged scheme: Sold lots in a nonexistent residential development between July 2021 and June 2022
- Status: Both held in preventive detention; three months granted for supplementary investigation
- Case number: 293/2026, heard before the Second Control Judge at Mérida’s Oral Justice Center
- Yucatán now requires real estate agents to hold a state license through Insejupy
- The Colegio Notarial de Yucatán recorded nearly 200 fraud cases in one year across Mérida and nearby municipalities
- Red flags to watch: presale contracts, upfront payments, unverified developers, and projects without documented permits
Sources: Diario de Yucatán, FGE Yucatán, Sol Yucatán, Pie de Página