Barcos leaves 2 boats behind in Africa

A Barcos Caribe ferry shuttles passengers from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel. File photo

One ship was damaged by a bomb blast, and two others have been impounded. Now, media are reporting that the troubled Playa del Carmen ferry company has two more ships stranded in Africa.

Barcos Caribe, which has been linked to the former governor of Quintana Roo, owns boats on the other side of the Atlantic that aren’t authorized to travel until charges of tax evasion and missing permits are settled, El Universal reports.

Sources close to the investigation told reporters that the shipping company began operations in 2015 with three Kilimanjaro-type vessels of Australian origin, which it bought and then renamed Caribbean I, II, III.

However, after the arrest of the former governor, Roberto Borge, Barcos Caribe’s problems began.

The Ferry Caribe I, which exploded last Feb. 21 in Playa del Carmen and left 26 injured, was secured on Tuesday by the Attorney General’s Office and is in custody of the Quintana Roo Port Authority.

The Caribbean II, on which another explosive device was supposedly found, is anchored in the Cozumel roadstead, in front of the Harbor Master’s Office. Sources indicate that the Caribbean III was suspended by the Ministry of Communications and Transportation and is anchored next to the Caribbean II.

The company was formed in 2012 when its name was registered before a notary, but it wasn’t until 2015 when Franco González Padrón — uncle of Félix González Canto — and César Celso González Hermosillo and Melgarejo, alleged partners, started ferry operations with 200,000 pesos in capital.

Sources told El Universal that the Attorney General’s Office is close to announcing new developments.

Source: El Universal

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