4 killed in beach shooting at Mexico vacation mecca

A shooting in Mexico’s popular Cancun vacation city left four people dead on the beach Monday, with police saying the incident was drug related.

Security official Jose de la Pena said police have detained two suspects in relation to the shooting. The four victims, all men, were discovered on the beach outside the Fiesta Americana hotel in Cancun’s tourist district.

Mexican authorities have ramped up patrols in the city, fearing a loss of tourist revenue. Cancun remains the most popular vacation spot for Americans visiting Mexico. Thousands of students flock to the coastal city for spring break every year.

Fiesta Americana did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

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Monday’s shooting comes just days after an American was shot in Cancun last week. Suspects allegedly approached the unnamed male around midnight and shot him in the leg on March 29.

Drug and cartel-related violence has skyrocketed across Mexico as authorities struggle to combat organized crime.

The U.S. State Department has issued a travel advisory for Americans vising Mexico, warning them to “exercise increased caution due to crime and kidnapping.”

Earlier this year, four Americans, Latavia “Tay” McGee, Shaeed Woodard, Eric Williams and Zindell Brown, were kidnapped by members of a Mexican cartel as they traveled across the border from Brownsville, Texas.

Two of the Americans were killed before the cartel ultimately released them. The cartel later turned in five men it said were responsible for the kidnappings and murder, adding a note apologizing for the violence.

The U.S. has repeatedly warned citizens not to travel to certain areas within Mexico.