A team of at least six gunmen shot and killed a U.S. citizen and injured another in what authorities described as a drug dispute in the popular beach resort of Acapulco. The U.S. citizens were part of a group of marijuana activists promoting an anarchy festival to be held later this month.
The shooting took place in the Vista Hermosa neighborhood in Acapulco Guerrero in what authorities described as a drug lab. According to the local news outlet El Sur, a team of about six gunmen barged into the house shooting five victims, including John Galton who died from his injuries and injuring Thason Heizan, both U.S. citizens.
At the scene of the shooting, Mexican military and police forces found marijuana and cocaine packages as well as other items used in the manufacturing of drugs. According to El Sur, Galton was known locally in Acapulco as an activist for the legalization of marijuana, an anarchist, and a supporter of cryptocurrencies.
The popular beach resort of Acapulco has seen a dramatic rise in violence as rival drug cartels have been fighting for control of lucrative drug trafficking, drug distribution, and drug production areas throughout the state of Guerrero. In September, Mexican federal authorities took control of Acapulco’s police after an investigation linked key law enforcement leaders with drug cartels, Breitbart News reported at the time.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and Stephen K. Bannon. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and Stephen K. Bannon. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
Tony Aranda and Jose Luis Lara from the Cartel Chronicles project contributed to this report.