Mexico: 4 Killed in Gunfight at Government Office in Cancun

On Tuesday, Mexican police reported that at least four people are dead after unnamed gunmen opened fire at the state attorney general’s office in the resort town of Cancun, one day after a mass shooting at a nightclub in the nearby Playa Del Carmen.

RELATED:
At Least 5 Dead, 15 Hurt in Shooting at Mexico Music Festival

Carlos Joaquin, governor of the state of Quintana Roo, announced on television on Tuesday evening that three suspected gunmen and one policeman were killed during a shootout at the government office, adding that five suspects were also arrested on the scene.

Given the heightened concerns after Monday’s deadly shooting at a music festival in the nearby Playa Del Carmen resort which killed 5 and injured 15, officials were quick in their attempts to reassure both local residents and foreign tourists.

"The state is under control and in order," Joaquin said, emphasizing that he had requested additional federal police to provide security in one of the most popular national and international tourist destinations in the country. "People from Cancun and our visitors can go about their lives as normal," he concluded.

After the attack on the attorney general’s office, heavily armed police and soldiers in full battle gear descended on a mall in the center of the city as hundreds of shoppers fled after reports of gunfire. Police later declared it a false alarm.

Joaquin, who took office in September, said that the attacks were a response to his attacks on organized crime in the region. “The battle against corruption and impunity is serious,” he said.

RELATED:
Mexican Governor Quits to Address Corruption Charges

The former governor of Quintana Roo, Roberto Borge, who is a member of President Enrique Peña Nieto’s PRI, is currently under a disciplinary investigation by the party after longstanding accusations of fraud and corruption.

Local media reported that the attacks were part of an ongoing “intimidation strategy” aimed at liberating accused narcotrafficker Leticia Rodriquez Lara, also known as Doña Lety, who was detained a few days ago by local authorities.

Tuesday’s attack is the second major blow in as many days to Mexico’s increasingly important tourism industry. With the recent drop in the value of the Peso and the economic devastation of a sudden rise in gas prices, many fear these attacks could have an exponentially damaging effect on the already precarious economy.