Eight bodies found in streets of Cancun
Several victims were dismembered and dumped like trash
Officials in Mexico said Tuesday that they discovered eight bodies in multiple locations across Cancun, a popular beach resort city — and magnet for North American tourists — on the Yucatan Peninsula.
At least one victim was bound before being shot, while another was apparently killed while lying in a hammock, The Associated Press reported.
Others victims were dumped on the streets, dismembered and stuffed into plastic bags, or left inside an abandoned taxi, according to the news agency.
All the bodies were found outside the resort city’s beachside hotel zone, according to The Associated Press.
The grisly discoveries were at odds with Cancun’s reputation as a resort haven in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, one that has typically been shielded from the violence that has plagued other parts of Mexico.
The U.S. State Department on Wednesday issued an updated travel advisory for Mexico after the news of the bodies was announced, advising travellers to “exercise increased caution in Mexico due to crime.”
While other news outlets have reported that the travel advisory was issued because of the killings in Cancun, a State Department spokesperson said Thursday the updated advisory was related to a security alert by the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juárez, in a different state than Quintana Roo.
A Level 2 travel advisory is in place specifically for Quintana Roo, and it cites an increase in homicide rates for the state compared with the same period in 2016.
“While most of these homicides appeared to be targeted, criminal organization assassinations, turf battles between criminal groups have resulted in violent crime in areas frequented by U.S. citizens,” the advisory reads.
“Shooting incidents injuring or killing bystanders have occurred.”
It’s not the first time this year a Mexican tourist destination has been shaken by violence. Last month, five people were killed and three injured in a shootout that occurred after gunmen ambushed police in Cancun.