Mexico: 2 Canadians Found Dead With Their Throats Slit in Playa Del Carmen

Two Canadian citizens have been found dead of knife wounds at the Playa del Carmen, a popular yet controversial coastal resort town in Mexico.

Prosecutors in Quintana Roo state said Tuesday that the victims, a male and a female, were found dead Monday at a hotel or condominium in the troubled town. Both were found with their throats slit in a hotel room.

According to ABC News, prosecutors noted that the man was on an Interpol wanted list for fraud charges. However, Mexican authorities did not release the names of the two victims.

They have also stated that Global Affairs Canada is already aware of the death of the two Canadian citizens in Playa del Carmen.

Authorities further noted that the suspects also attacked a local security guard in the hotel. The guard survived and reported the attack to the police. Reports said only the two victims were targeted.

Deaths of Canadian Citizens Are the Latest in a String of Violence in Mexico's Playa Del Carmen

This is not the first time Canadians have been found dead in the famous coastal resort town this year. The Associated Press reported that in January, Mexican authorities found two other Canadians killed.

Authorities claimed that the reason was apparently due to debts between international drug and weapons trafficking gangs.

This year has been quite bloody in Playa del Carmen, as police have also found the bodies of four men dumped near a housing development in March.

Authorities suggest that the killings of these four men were gang-related due to how their bodies were left together.

Violence in Mexico's Resort Town Increasing Due to Drug Dealers and Cartels

Playa del Carmen is part of Mexico's Quinta Roo state, also home to two other popular Mexican resort towns, Cancun and Tulum.

The Guardian reported that it is part of the Mayan Riviera coast, which has been dubbed the crown jewel of the Mexican tourism industry.

However, the recent string of violence within the Mayan Riviera may affect tourism, as the violence is not contained within Playa del Carmen alone.

In November, a shootout happened at a beach in Puerto Morelos, which can be found just north of Playa del Carmen. The shootout had also been drug-related, with two suspected drug dealers shot dead in the incident, according to local police.

Another incident happened in late October last year in Tulum, another popular tourist destination. A California-born Indian blogger and a German citizen were caught in a crossfire between rival drug dealers and killed.

According to Texarkana Gazette, the region opened up to tourists only a few months after the pandemic, with few restrictions on travelers at the height of the covid-19 outbreak.

Things are made more complicated by rival gangs vying for control of the drug trade in these resort towns. Often, these gangs would make their illegal trade in local restaurants, with owners afraid to report these criminal activities due to violent reprisal.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: 2 Canadians Killed in Mexico Were Targeted, Officials Say - From CBC News: The National