At least eight people were found dead in the popular Mexican tourist resort city of Cancun, according to reports on Aug. 22.
Elaborating further, the bodies of a man and a woman were found dead in a taxi on Aug. 21, AP reported. And the dismembered bodies of two men were found in plastic bags elsewhere, suggesting drug cartel violence.
AP reported that a man was shot to death, and the Quintana Roo state prosecutors’ office said another man was killed while on a hammock. Another was found shot and covered with a plastic bag.
The killings didn’t take place in Cancun’s hotel area along the scenic beaches.
In a statement, the Quintana Roo state government said that an officer died at the time. “There are no tourists or foreigners among the injured or deceased,” prosecutors said, adding that the four others who were killed were employees at the restaurant.
Millions of tourists, namely from the United States and Europe, visit Cancun and nearby resorts like as Playa del Carmen and Tulum every single year.
Violence on the Rise
In the first part of 2018, some 279 people were murdered in Quintana Roo state over in drug-linked violence, AFP reported, citing non-governmental organization Semaforo Delictivo.Mexican officials have blamed the rise in killings on battles between the Jalisco and Sinaloa drug cartels, according to the Guardian. They are battling for drug trafficking routes in Baja California, located just south of the U.S. state of California.
Gangs have also broken up and moved to new areas, spreading the violence further, Time reported.
“The issue of organized crime in Mexico has really evolved... it’s no longer only drug trafficking groups but also gangs with other origins,” said Rubén Salazar, the director of Etellekt.