Mexico: Cancun Shooting, Violence Spark Fears Among Tourists

Cancun is one of Mexico's most popular tourist destinations. However, the resort city has been rocked after police found four dead bodies near a hotel in Cancun on Monday. This is the latest in a wave of violence gripping the seemingly-peaceful tropical paradise.

According to CNN, two people have already been arrested in connection to these killings, as confirmed by the attorney general of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, where Cancun is. All those killed in the incident have been confirmed to be Mexican citizens.

A tourist who was in the area at the time of the shooting spoke with CNN and stated that he heard shots while at a nearby gym at around 10 a.m. local time.

"We heard the shots and they hid all of us in an office and they kept us there until the incident was over. Everyone kept us there until they secured the area, and right now there are police, the Navy, everyone, everyone in the beach area and it's very uncomfortable for us," the tourist said.

Prosecutors say they found three bodies in the area and immediately launched an investigation. Soon, they also found a fourth dead body near where the other three bodies were found.

Cancun Shooting Deaths May Have Been Drug-Related

The two people arrested were identified with the help of security cameras around the area. Benito Juarez municipal public security secretary Jose Pablo Mathey Cruz stated that the suspects are allegedly engaged in the sale and distribution of narcotics.

Violence has been on the rise in Cancun over the last few years, with security deteriorating. This forced the Mexican government to deploy the National Guard to the resort area and its surrounding areas back in 2021. The rise in violence in this once-peaceful resort town has been linked to organized crime.

The State Department has already warned tourists to "exercise increased caution due to crime and kidnapping" in the state of Quintana Roo. The U.S. government has warned that violence and criminal activity may occur anywhere, "including in popular tourist destinations." This includes Cancun.

KHOU-11 pointed out that drug gangs have been invading these tourist destinations, which attract not only foreign vacationers but also local tourists. Resort towns like Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, have become their biggest targets.

Reactions to the Killings in Cancun

Following the latest eruption of drug-related violence in Cancun, several netizens have taken to Twitter to react to the situation. Some American tourists are reportedly concerned due to the rising violence, but others still say they still want to vacation there.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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