The construction site at a Progreso Beach Club was shut down for extracting sand from the sea without a permit.
A construction site at an exclusive beach club located on the Progreso coast was shut down by municipal authorities after confirming that dredging sand directly from the sea was being carried out to build a retaining wall.
The intervention took place after residents and visitors reported heavy machinery entering the coastal area at night.
The work was being carried out without the required environmental authorizations, which constitutes a violation of regulations governing the use of the federal maritime-terrestrial zone.
Sand extraction in these types of ecosystems can cause severe damage to the natural balance of beaches, affect biodiversity, and exacerbate phenomena such as coastal erosion.
Witnesses reported that the sand was removed from the sea and then used to artificially alter the club’s land, raising concerns among residents about the environmental impact and the apparent impunity with which the work was carried out. Videos and photographs shared on social media revealed the irregular actions, increasing social pressure to intervene.
Following an inspection, municipal authorities ordered the immediate closure of the project and removed the heavy machinery, although no financial penalties or actions by state or federal environmental agencies have been announced so far. The community is demanding that legal proceedings be initiated to repair the ecological damage caused and that those responsible be punished.
This case has once again highlighted the urgency of strengthening surveillance along the Yucatán coast, where attempts to appropriate or alter land of environmental value are increasingly frequent.
Activists and residents in the area are calling for stricter regulations and a real commitment from the authorities to protect the coastline and ensure its long-term conservation.
TYT Newsroom
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