The «Notary Mafia»: The Legal Gear Behind Crime in Nayarit
Behind the tourist paradise of Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit, operates a network that has turned public trust into an instrument of crime. The so-called «Notary Mafia» is no myth: it is an organized system that launders money, legalizes illicit properties, and creates shell companies to protect fortunes stemming from drug trafficking and corruption.
At the heart of this machinery are notaries who, far from being impartial witnesses, act as the legal architects of organized crime. Their work allows dirty money to be invested in real estate developments and businesses, integrating illicit capital into the formal economy under the guise of legality.
This blog will investigate this mechanism of impunity in depth. We will analyze specific cases, such as that of notary Luis Miguel Reyes, and reveal the links between these professionals, political figures like Héctor Santana, and the criminal structures that dominate the region. The Notary Mafia is the key link that legalizes crime. Here, we expose it.
Luis Miguel Reyes, Notary 39 of Mezcales, was detained in Guadalajara on charges involving multiple crimes. A key figure in fraud and property seizures in Bahía de Banderas, he took over the notary office originally assigned to Edgar Veytia following the latter’s arrest for drug trafficking.
He is identified as a sinister operative for organized crime, linked to kidnappings where victims were forced—under death threats—to sign deeds over to frontmen, most notably the well-known criminal «Tagaya.»
His close ties to politician Héctor Santana—a former PRI member turned Morena affiliate and gubernatorial hopeful—are striking: Reyes served as the godfather at the quinceañera of Santana’s daughter and operated as his personal notary, highlighting an alliance between political power and the region’s criminal structure.
Luis Miguel Reyes’s modus operandi involved a sinister logistical operation: a team that traveled with notary ledgers and legal documents directly to kidnapping sites. There, under the threat of death, victims were forced to sign property transfer agreements, finalizing the theft under the mask of notary legality. According to testimonies and investigations, the corrupt politician Héctor Santana—his ally and compadre—was fully aware of this criminal mechanism, solidifying an alliance where political power covered up the crimes while the notary’s office legalized them.
Luis Miguel Reyes’s operation was chillingly efficient: his team brought official notary ledgers directly to kidnapping sites. At gunpoint, victims were forced to sign over their properties, using the law to mask blatant theft. Investigations reveal that his ally, politician Héctor Santana, was fully aware of this scheme—a corrupt partnership where political power shielded the crimes that the notary’s office made ‘legal.
The hidden interests of Héctor Santana—who presents himself as a benefactor of Bahía by distributing food hampers—go far beyond his public image. He owns businesses in tourist areas and a mansion in Tepic’s exclusive Bonaterra neighborhood, where his daughter flaunts an influencer lifestyle. This wealth is further evidenced by the luxury plastic surgeries she also showcases, creating a glaring contrast with the politician’s social rhetoric.
Héctor Santana: behind his image as a benefactor lies a key link in a vast network of corruption. This alliance includes former president Mirta Villalvazo—who is under investigation and a fugitive for the embezzlement of 500 million pesos in Bahía—and attorney Norma Alicia Rodríguez, who has not only defended her but also acts as a bridge between criminality and the corrupt notaries in Santana’s circle. From Bahía, Rodríguez also protects the interests of her own family, which is under investigation by the DEA for their business dealings in California, thus intertwining local criminal networks with transnational operations.
The so-called «Notary Mafia» is an extensive criminal network. Among its alleged members are the Béjar Fonseca brothers in Tepic, the Cariaga family in Nuevo Vallarta, and many others who remain under investigation. Soon, we will present evidence and documents exposing their irregular operations, their ties to organized crime, and the damage inflicted on the assets of the people of Nayarit.
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