The bodies of four people were found by Mexican police on Saturday, February 11, stuffed in a vehicle parked in Playa del Carmen, a beach resort located on Mexico’s Caribbean coast. They were later identified as city municipal inspectors. There were signs that the men had been tortured. 

Playa del Carmen has a reputation of being dangerous, with illegal businesses and drug trade.

The city inspector’s job is to enforce local codes at the town’s businesses.

In January of last year, two Canadian residents were killed at a resort in the town in an incident connected to drug and weapons trafficking.

Last year, in March, the bodies of four people dumped in shrubs near a road were found. It was unclear how and why the victims died, and there were no signs of gunshot wounds or torture. The scene had the signs of a gang-style murder. 

Also in March, law enforcement in Guanajuato, considered to be Mexico’s most dangerous state, found seven burned bodies in a pickup truck on the side of the road and another dead body near the truck.

Several other violent incidents were reported on the Maya Riviera Coast of Mexico, known for its luxury resorts and tourist trade, including the popular 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 the 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.