Mexico: Mexican Tourist Killed in Tulum in Deadly Armed Robbery
A Mexican tourist was reportedly killed in the Caribbean resort city of Tulum in Mexico during a dramatic robbery at a U.S. chain coffee shop.
Videos of the attack, which circulated on social media Tuesday, showed that the Mexican tourist refused to hand over an expensive watch he was wearing.
Because of this, he was shot and killed by armed robbers, according to the Associated Press. The video also showed two men with motorcycle helmets bursting into the coffee shop at gunpoint Monday.
The Mexican tourist reportedly had an armed bodyguard who took out a pistol and shot at the robbers.
The robbers still managed to escape, but the bodyguard chased them to the street, where he continued firing through the coffee shop's door.
Mexican Tourist's Bodyguard and 1 Suspect Arrested After Deadly Armed Robbery
Quintana Roo state police reported that they managed to arrest one of the suspects, who managed to flee, and the bodyguard.
The suspect was reportedly wounded and tried to get treated at a local hospital, where Quinta Roo authorities soon apprehended him. As for the bodyguard, he was released as authorities discovered he had a permit to carry firearms legally.
State Prosecutor Oscar Montes de Oca further noted that the bodyguard was also released as he may have acted in self-defense, Fox News reported.
Quinta Roo is one of the most popular states in Mexico for tourists to visit, as it is home to many resort towns along the Caribbean Coast, such as Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum.
However, the state has recently been facing a wave of violence as drug cartels continue to vie for supremacy in the state's various resort towns.
Drug Cartel Violence Getting Out of Control in Mexico's Tulum City
Drug cartel violence has been brewing in Tulum for quite some time now, and so far, it has gotten worse in this popular tourist destination.
Last February, a gruesome murder was reported when four local city officials were found shot to death and stuffed inside a vehicle. Their bodies reportedly had signs that they were tortured.
The men were reportedly from Playa del Carmen's municipal inspection office, which enforced the law in the popular resort town, especially monitoring drug use or sales and looking after the city permits for restaurants, bars, and other commercial establishments.
One of the many drug cartels operating in Tulum was blamed for the men's deaths. According to Vice News, four vicious cartels have been operating in the area, including the two notorious ones, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Sinaloa Cartel.
The Gulf Cartel, which recently grabbed headlines for the abduction and deaths of two American tourists, and the Grupo Regional, a cartel formed of former Zetas cartel members and local street gangs, also operate in the resort area.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: The Cancun That Tourists Don't Often See: Soaring Murders Amid a Bloody Drug War - From PBS Drug Hour
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