Veracruz public notary arrested in real estate cartel case, accused of fraud and offenses against public faith

A public notary in southern Veracruz has been arrested in another case tied to the so-called Veracruz Real Estate Cartel, after a property owner alleged she was deceived into signing documents concerning her property.

Ministerial police from the Veracruz Attorney General’s Office detained Fernando “N,” the public notary in Catemaco. Authorities accuse him of alleged fraud and offenses against public faith.

According to official reports, the complainant was taken to the notary’s office in 2017 and asked to sign documents related to a property she owned. She alleged that the contents were not explained to her.

After investigating, prosecutors concluded that they had sufficient indications of possible crimes and asked a judge for an arrest warrant. The warrant was granted and carried out in Catemaco.

The accused was brought before the Control Judge based in San Andrés Tuxtla for the initial hearing in criminal case 221/2026. The court imposed justified pretrial detention. The arrest comes after months in which dozens of people have reported alleged illegal property seizures in what has popularly become known as the Veracruz Real Estate Cartel.