The U.S. State Department has issued a Cancun travel warning following a number of violent crimes that took place in the Mexican city.
The warning was issued on Wednesday to American citizens who may be interested in visiting the seaside resort hub. It came after Mexican prosecutors said that they discovered eight dead bodies on the streets of Cancun, two of which were dumped at two spots, while the other four were shot to death in multiple places.
While the killings did not take place directly in Cancun’s beach-side hotel area, the city is still a dangerous one that has been mired with homicides, carjackings, kidnappings and muggings for several decades. The travel warning included other parts of Mexico, including the states Guerreo, Colima, Michoacan, Sinaloa and
In relation to the state of Quintana Roo, where Cancun is located, the State Department said the following:
According to Government of Mexico statistics, the state experienced an increase in homicide rates compared to the same period in 2016. While most of these homicides appeared to be targeted, criminal organization assassinations, turf battles between criminal groups have resulted in violent crime in areas frequented by U.S. citizens. Shooting incidents injuring or killing bystanders have occurred.
“The State Department travel advisory for Mexico does not include any tourist or beach areas and reaffirms that all major tourist destinations in Mexico are safe,” a spokesperson for the Quintana Roo Tourism Board wrote in a statement.
