Mexico City residents report sophisticated property theft schemes

Residents in Mexico City are sounding the alarm over a sophisticated method of property dispossession, where alleged criminal groups forcibly seize homes. The modus operandi involves late-night intrusions, changing locks, swift renovations, and even installing new electricity and water meters, often backed by forged documents asserting false ownership.

Victims have filed complaints with the Attorney General's Office of Justice (FGJCDMX), describing how these groups target unoccupied properties or those with elderly residents or lax security. Once identified, teams, frequently accompanied by security personnel, break in by force, replacing existing locks and padlocks.

Inside the properties, the alleged intruders immediately begin modifications. They empty the homes, bring in construction materials, demolish walls, alter facades, and replace windows. A key tactic involves attempting to install new utility services like electricity and water. This is done to create evidence that could support a claim of legal possession, even when the rightful owners possess valid deeds.

In one documented case in the Colonia Del Valle, Daneira Oviedo reported her property was invaded on July 21 after security alarms alerted her family. The property, which was undergoing unfinished construction, was targeted by individuals who, according to Oviedo, sought to install electricity through a locksmith and workers to legitimize their occupation. They also attempted to change the electricity meter to bolster their claim. Despite these efforts, Oviedo had security cameras, which recorded the intruders. Following her complaint, a judge ordered pre-trial detention for two individuals, Virginia "N" and Diana "N," on charges of dispossession, as they could not prove their residency.

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They are going after properties that are not inhabited, where they thought there were no cameras, but I did have them, and the locksmith-carpenter who came wanted to change even the electricity; meaning, they were going to install their own electricity and 'voila'! Why? Because once they have some electricity or some water, they say, 'I already have this [house],' they have something to prove it, we could say; however, I have everything.