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Mexican authorities reportedly arrested the embattled former owner of Miami Seaquarium, Eduardo Albor, in Cancun on Thursday, according to multiple reports.
Albor formerly served as CEO of the Dolphin Company, which acquired South Florida’s infamous Miami Seaquarium in 2021. The Sea World-style attraction shuttered in 2025 while mired in controversy involving allegations of animal mistreatment, painful deaths, and bankruptcy. While the reason for Albor’s apparent arrest by Mexican federal officers was unclear on Friday, videos of his arrest circulated on social media.
The Dolphin Project, a Tampa-area non-profit focused on dolphin welfare, posted a video on X (formerly known as Twitter) purportedly showing Mexican authorities arresting Albor and tossing him into a truck.
“Eduardo Albor has been arrested in Cancun, Mexico. The reasons of the arrest are currently not known, but we will update as soon as more information becomes available,” their post reads. “From Empty Tanks Mexico: ‘Eduardo Albor is founder and CEO of The Dolphin Company, the company behind a multitude of captive dolphin parks in Mexico and other countries. Their company has been heavily criticized by animal welfare organizations due to the captivity of dolphins and sea wolves, as well as investigations and public reports related to animal treatment, money laundering, and acts of corruption.'”
Mexican TV and radio reporter Jorge Castro Noriega posted close-up screenshots of the arrest on X, writing, “This is how a businessman from Quintana Roo, Eduardo Arbor, director of The Dolphin Company, was detained this afternoon by Guardia Nacional at the intersection of the central avenues Uxmal and Bonampak in Cancun. There is still no official report on the operation that led to his detention, which was carried out with excessive force by the federals. Albor was violently pulled out of his truck and nearly dragged to a Guardia Nacional patrol vehicle, where they took him away.”
Forbes Mexico reported on the arrest Thursday night, reporting that it happened at about 3:30 p.m. local time. The Mexican Treasury reportedly ordered that bank accounts belonging to Controladora Dolphin, the holding company through which his businesses operate, be frozen.
“The officers, who were wearing National Guard uniforms,” the Forbes story (originally written in Spanish) reads, “managed to subdue the businessman.”
