SAN FELIPE, Yucatan — The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) filed a criminal complaint for the activities of mangrove cutting and wetland filling in the municipality of San Felipe, Yucatán, within the Protected Natural Area (ANP) State Reserve of Dzilam de Bravo.
The complaint indicated the mayor of the municipality of San Felipe, Antonio Marrufo López, and other persons, are allegedly responsible for the crimes.
The activities of clearing, elimination of natural vegetation, cutting, as well as land use change in forest land for the filling of a wetland, are activities typified as a crime in article 418 of the Federal Penal Code ( CPF).
Article 420 section V of the CPF protects specimens of threatened wild species, such as the mangrove.
This was due to the fact that red mangrove specimens (Rhizophora mangle), white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa), black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) and mangrove botoncillo (Conocarpus erectus) were detected, listed in the official Mexican standard NOM-059- SEMARNAT-2010, in the category of Endangered species (A).
For the two crimes mentioned above, the CPF establishes a penalty of 6 months to nine years in prison and one to nine years in prison, respectively.
Also, damage due to drying and filling of a wetland was alleged, an offense established in Article 420 Bis section I of the Code, for which a penalty of two to ten years of imprisonment is established.
PROFEPA conducted an inspection in October 2018 in an area of 4,880 square meters, which was closed in the Municipality of San Felipe, Yucatán, located within the polygonal of the State Reserve of Dzilam de Bravo, for the activities of land use change in a forest area without authorization from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT).
Profepa seeks to inhibit the commission of environmental crimes, while reaffirming its commitment and mission to protect the natural resources of Mexico, as well as seeking environmental justice through strict compliance with the Law.
Source: Punto Medio
