Mexico: Killings of 2 Canadians in Resort Due to Debts Between International Gangs
A senior Mexican prosecutor said the killing of two Canadians at a resort in Mexico last week likely stemmed from debts between international gangs allegedly linked to drug and weapons trafficking.
On Tuesday, Oscar Montes, the chief prosecutor of the Quintana Roo state, said the investigations showed that the attack "was motivated by debts that arose from transnational illegal activities that the victims participated in," the Guardian reported.
Montes noted that the two 34-year-old Canadians killed were involved in drug and arms trafficking crimes. Based on the victims' criminal records in Canada, prosecutors earlier said one of the men was a known felon with a long record linked to robbery, drug, and weapons offenses.
Montes noted that their assailants followed them for several days. He said the attack had been planned for nearly a month by a criminal group he declined to name. However, he noted that this organization had not previously been known to operate in the area.
The attackers reportedly had guest wrist bands to enter the Hotel Xcaret resort at Playa del Carmen in the state of Quintana Roo, where the shooting incident happened last Friday.
A Canadian woman was wounded in the attack, and she was still being treated in a local hospital.
2 Suspects Arrested in the Killing of 2 Canadians in Mexico
According to Oscar Montes, the first group of assassins hired to kill the Canadians earlier in January abandoned the mission due to tight security. The killing was then carried out by a second assassin who flew to the resort.
Authorities said the two suspects arrested in the case so far were the first Mexican hired killer Christian "R" and a professional woman kidnapper from Mexico City named Nhu "T" who coordinated the plot, Reuters reported.
Authorities said the hired killer who traveled to the resort when the first attempt failed due to the hotel security system and the one who actually fired the shots is being sought.
Police said Nhu was reportedly a member of a group of 10 Canadians who were staying at the resort. Montes noted that Nhu "cared" for the victims' children, and she allegedly met with the killers, likely to provide them information on their activities.
Global Affairs Canada told CBC News Tuesday that it was "aware of the death of two Canadian citizens and the detention of a Canadian citizen in Mexico."
It noted that consular officials are now in contact with authorities in Mexico to gather information and are providing consular assistance. However, it said that further details on the case could not be released to protect the privacy of the concerned individuals.
Series Of Heinous Crimes in Mexico's Quintana Roo State
Quintana Roo has previously been home to numerous criminal groups with international connections, probably due to huge numbers of foreign tourists visiting the Caribbean coast state.
A gang of Romanians has long been operating in the state, cloning credit cards and making illegal withdrawals from ATM machines.
This week, two Ukrainians were arrested for allegedly being involved in a fuel theft operation. Cancun, a city in Quintana Roo, has long been used as a base by immigrant traffickers to smuggle Cuban migrants.
In early November, guests at the Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun hotel in Puerto Morelos rushed for safety when 15 gunmen from a gang opened fire on rivals, leaving two suspected drug dealers dead.
Although one tourist was reported to have been hit in the head with a weapon, no other tourists were seriously injured in the incident.
In late October, two foreign tourists - a California travel blogger born in India and a German - were killed after they were caught in the apparent crossfire of rival drug dealers in Tulum, a beach town about 80 miles south of Cancun.
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Jess Smith
WATCH: 2 Canadian Tourists Killed, Another Wounded in Mexico Resort Shooting- From CBC News: The National