Cartel Gunmen Kill Three Suspected Drug Dealers near Cancun Resort

A group of gunmen shot and killed three suspected drug dealers just outside a popular resort in Cancun. The triple murder comes as Mexico kicks off one of its busiest holiday seasons.

On Monday morning, authorities responded to a grassy area next to Hotel Fiesta Americana in the tourist area of Cancun after locals reported hearing a barrage of gunfire. According to information released by the Quintana Roo Attorney General’s Office (FGE), when authorities arrived, they found the bodies of three males.

La #FGEQuintanaRoo informa que inició una carpeta de investigación con motivo del hallazgo de tres cuerpos sin vida en el municipio de Benito Juárez. Las autoridades trabajan para esclarecer los hechos y dar con el paradero del o de los responsables de estos acontecimientos. pic.twitter.com/Rv2bYiBRT4

— Fiscalía General del Estado de Quintana Roo (@FGEQuintanaRoo) April 3, 2023

Breitbart Texas spoke with a representative from the FGE who revealed that the three male victims were not tourists, but local men between the ages of 20 and 30. The official revealed that the men are believed to have been involved in the local sale of narcotics and that is the main theory being investigated in connection to the murder.

The killing comes at the start of Holy Week — a very popular vacation period tied to Easter Week. By Monday afternoon, authorities managed to detain three suspects in connection to the case. According to the local newspaper NotiCaribe, the suspects did not have any weapons at the time of the arrest, but authorities were able to identify them due to the security cameras in the area.

As Breitbart Texas has reported, Cancun experienced a dramatic increase in cartel violence in recent years as criminal organizations tied to Cartel Jalisco New Generation try to take control away from groups tied to the Sinaloa Cartel. The two cartels are fighting for control of the lucrative local distribution of drugs, the local liquor trade, the local sex trade, and other connected businesses.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. 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 Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.