Mexican Authorities Discover 8 Bodies Discarded in Cancún Resort
Apr. 26 2023, Published 12:25 p.m. ET
Mexican authorities have discovered eight bodies near popular tourist destinations in Cancún, RadarOnline.com has learned.
On Tuesday officials revealed a string of dumped bodies and skeleton remains were found about 10 miles from Cancún's beaches, near the bustling hotel zone and other tourist friendly areas.
The discovery came as the region faced an uptick in cartel activity — and after four Americans were rescued in March from the border town of Matamoros, after their group was believed to be mistaken for Haitian drug smugglers by local cartel members.
After authorities coordinated a thorough search effort with Mexican police, several bodies identified over the weekend matched reports of missing persons from the area.
Oscar Montes de Oca, head prosecutor of the state of Quinta Roo, confirmed that five bodies were found discarded at an abandoned construction site. Three of the remains discovered were identified as missing persons.
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On the outskirts of Cancùn, near the airport and a neighborhood pool, three additional sets of skeletal remains were found.
Authorities have yet to identify those remains, however, the state's lead prosecutor stated that the bodies were believed to be dumped in the area between one week and two months ago.
The shocking discoveries highlighted the region's ongoing battle with the local cartel, which has not only threatened the safety of visitors, but also the livelihood of locals dependent on the region's tourism-based industry.
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At the time of the search, the Mexican government reported 112,000 missing persons in the country.
Areas in Mexico, such as border towns, have been regarded as dangerous due to cartel activity. However, popular tourist destinations like Cancún were considered safe to visit, considering the massive wealth that is generated from heavily trafficked, upscale resorts.
Local cartels were believed to be clashing more routinely, even in tourist-heavy areas, as turf wars broke out along the country's Caribbean coast line for drug trafficking.
A search similar to that conducted in Cancún was also carried out in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, which sat about 140-miles south of the Yucatan peninsula.
Authorities, search dogs and even relatives of missing persons were said to have assisted in searches.