Drug gang busted for killing, dismembering five in Cancun

Six members of a drug gang in the Mexican tourist hotspot of Cancun were arrested Monday for allegedly killing and dismembering five people with a machete and burying three others in a shallow grave, prosecutors said.

Quintana Roo police said six men were linked to the grizzly murders, which were first uncovered on January 29 when police found five hacked-up bodies inside a motorcycle taxi.

An investigation led the officers to the group, who are members of a notorious crime ring that deals in drug sales, extortion, vehicle thefts and homicide in the area.

The victims have not been identified.

After arresting the group, police seized their drugs, including marijuana, cocaine and crack, as well as two firearms that are exclusively used in the Mexican military.

Police also seized the motorcycle taxis used to transport the mutilated bodies, with one of the bikes reported stolen back on January 11.

After tracing the stolen vehicle to where it was taken from, police found three bodies that were thrown into a ditch and buried in a shallow grave.

The Attorney General’s Office of the state of Quintana Roo identified the six adult men arrested as Cristian N, Yobani N, Pablo N, Raul N, Ernesto Alonso N, and Rosario N. The men were taken into custody along with two minors, who were not named.

The arrests came along with a larger bust of a sprawling drug operation in Cancun, where 23 others were arrested as part of a fake call center that preyed on tourists, delivered drugs and used motorcycle taxis and minors as lookouts.

Mexican authorities said the fake tourist agency did business through a call center where they offered sports equipment and tour packages to tourists at the popular resort city.

The suspects, however, would never deliver on the goods and services and just keep the money.

The second floor of the call center housed their drug dealing operation, police said, where they would secure sales over the phone and deliver them via motorcycles.

Along with the large organization, Quintana Roo police also arrested another suspect accused of buying and selling drugs on social media, with home delivery included.

A popular tourist destination, Cancun has been riddled with violent crimes in recent years, with prosecutors recently confirming the death of an American man and woman who were fatally shot last week during a dispute at a beach club in Tulum, just south of the resort city.

Prosecutors noted that the American man killed in the shooting had cocaine and pills in his possession when he was fatally shot. He was believed to be a drug dealer, with the woman appearing to be a civilian who was caught in the crossfire, police said.

Last year, the US State Department issued a travel warning to tourists, asking them to exercise increased situational awareness” in Mexico’s resort towns over the increase in violent crime and drug busts.

But tourists seem undeterred as Mexico’s tourism department revealed Monday that foreigners spent almost $31 billion in the country last year, with about half spending their time in Cancun. The spending figure is up 10% from 2022.

With Post wires