Four men were found dead by Mexican police on Saturday, February 11. They were found piled up in a vehicle parked in the beach resort, Playa del Carmen, located on Mexico’s Caribbean coast. Police identified the four men as city municipal inspectors. There was evidence that the men had been tortured.
In sprite of being a beautiful tourist area, Playa del Carmen has developed a bad reputation, with several violent crimes due to drug cartels and illegal businesses.
The city inspector’s job is to enforce local codes at the local businesses.
In January of last year, two Canadian tourists were murdered at a resort in the town in an incident connected to drug and weapons trafficking.
In March, four people were killed and dumped in shrubs near a road. The scene had the signs of a gang-style murder.
Also in March, police in the state of Guanajuato, considered Mexico’s most dangerous state, found seven burned bodies in a pickup truck on the side of the road and another dead person near the truck.
Several other violent crimes were reported on the Maya Riviera Coast of Mexico, known for its luxury resorts and tourist trade, including the popular beach areas of Cancun and Tulum.
In October 2022, in the tourist town of Tulum, a California travel blogger and a German tourist were killed in a crossfire between rival drug gangs.
Two people were killed on Puerto Morelos beach in November 2022. They were suspected of being drug dealers and the killing involved a gang dispute over the sale of narcotics.
The State Department advises US tourists to exercise caution in the Mexican Quintana Roo state, which includes tourist areas in Cancun, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and the Riviera Maya due to drug cartel gang violence and kidnappings. US citizens have been the victims of crimes in the popular resort towns.