Cancun’s Bloody Week: 10 Murders in 7 Days Shock Residents

The last week of June was marked by a disturbing surge in homicides in the municipality of Benito Juarez, with a total of ten murders. The week-long spate of violence highlights the growing insecurity in the region.

On Monday, the authorities discovered a bound body in the trunk of an abandoned car on the ring road. A 15-year-old was arrested at the scene, while his accomplice managed to escape. The pair were allegedly responsible for disposing of the body and were found with a living man, who was subsequently rescued.

Later that day, a man from Leona Vicario in the municipality of Puerto Morelos died in Cancun General Hospital from a gunshot wound. Tuesday and Wednesday passed without incident, but the violence resumed on Thursday with the discovery of another bound and decomposed body in the Avante neighborhood, adding to the growing list of unsolved crimes.

On Friday, a 19-year-old woman succumbed to gunshot wounds in the General Hospital. The same night, a man was shot dead outside a bar in region 221, adding to the week's grim tally. On Saturday afternoon, a lawyer was brazenly shot dead inside a barber shop in Plaza Peninsula, shocking the local community.

The violence peaked on Sunday with multiple incidents. A man was shot dead in a home in the In House subdivision in region 260. Later, two wrapped bodies were discovered in the La Amistad neighborhood. Finally, another man was shot dead in the Paseos del Mar subdivision of region 251.

The residents of Cancun are demanding action from the authorities to restore peace and security to their streets. As it stands, arrests have only been made in one case, seemingly more due to luck than effective policing.