Mafia, Local Politicians Involved in Mexican Drug Cartel's Turf Wars; Evidences Revealed in Mexico's Recent Beachside Attacks

The latest security report from Mexico revealed that the recent turf wars in its tourist destinations involved not only Mexican gangs but also the mafia and local politicians vying for upcoming positions.

Tourists Caught in Mexico Turf Wars' Crossfires

According to Business Insider, security reports and sources disclosed that the latest armed attacks witnessed by authorities and visitors in Mexico's top tourist beaches involved Mexican gangs, Romanian and Russian Mafia, and local politicians.

The last three months have been deadly for Mexico's top tourist beaches.

Before October ended, an attack inside a bar in the popular city of Tulum killed two foreign tourists, which included a California-based travel blogger Anjali Ryot.

Just days after, during the first days of November, tourists visiting Puerto Morelos, situated south of Cancun, were locked down in their hotels after gunmen opened fire on a beach and pursued their target into a resort in the area. The shooting incident left two individuals dead in the area.

Moreover, on the morning of December 7, three men riding ski-jets opened fire on a group of individuals at Playa Langosta beach in the tourist hotspot of Cancun. Despite no injury or death recorded, the shooting gave a traumatic experience to some tourists, especially another attack that happened a few weeks later spiked anxiety among travelers.

Local Politicians, Mafia Join Drug Cartels' Turf Wars in Mexico's Tourist Spots

Based on another Insider report, the tourist spot of Tulum alone saw 65 homicides between January and September. Based on the statistics from Mexico's national system of public security, the coastline town in Mexico experienced an 80.5% increase compared to the same period last year, with 36 homicides recorded.

The recent spike in violence was caused by a dozen local gangs who are looking to control the streets of Mexico in terms of drug-dealing business.

The prosecutor in the state of Quintana Roo, Oscar Montes de Oca, where Cancún and Tulum are located, said that "about 10 groups of drug dealers" were fighting each other; but in reality, it is more complex.

The state of Quintana Roo very recently had local elections in its 11 municipalities, including for mayor and most police chiefs. The positions were considered by the director of Lantia, a Mexican consulting agency specializing in criminal organizations and security analysis, Eduardo Guerrero, as a key factor in the uptick of armed attacks.

"Most gang leaders had agreements in place with the leaving administration; and with a new chief of police, new mayors, and city officials, they are fighting to be the ones breaking a permissive deal that allows them to operate their illegal businesses freely," Guerrero said.

Furthermore, in May, the Mexican government captured Romanian businessman Florian Tudor in Quintana Roo. Tudor is accused of being the leader of a Romanian mafia that operated in several tourist spots in Mexico.

The Attorney General's Attorney Office said in a press release that they captured Florian Tudor and that they complied with an extradition request by the Romanian government for allegedly being involved in various crimes.

The investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project stated that Adrian Enachescu, the step-brother of Tudoe, opened a Delaware-based business with offices in New York and San Francisco, which were allegedly used to transfer money from illegal operations in Romania to Mexico.

The Romanian mafia was considered by authorities as a unique group because its base of operations is situated in Mexico.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

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