Tulum Business Owner Killed in Suspected Extortion Case

Tulum, Quintana Roo — The man murdered on Thursday afternoon in the Yaax Tulum neighborhood of this city was the owner of two businesses, leading authorities to suspect his death may be linked to extortion demands. The victim was gunned down by two unidentified assailants inside his store, a beer outlet located at the intersection of Glandiolas and Tulipanes streets.

Victim Identified as Local Entrepreneur

Initially believed to be an employee, the victim has now been identified as Jorge “N.,” the proprietor of the establishment. Originally from Chiapas, the deceased also owned a laundromat adjacent to the beer store. Neighbors who knew him revealed that he had secured a loan from a relative to open the store, which he later expanded to include the laundromat.

Wave of Violence in Tulum

This incident follows another double execution just two days prior, on Tuesday, approximately three blocks away in the same neighborhood. Those killings were allegedly tied to conflicts among low-level drug traffickers.

The week has been particularly violent in Tulum. Hours after Tuesday’s double homicide—which also left one person injured—a Cuban national was shot at a hotel in the Fundadores neighborhood. Early Wednesday morning, gunfire erupted in the “2 de Octubre” settlement, though no injuries were reported.

Prior to Thursday’s murder of the merchant, two tortilla delivery workers were shot in the community of Macario Gómez, resulting in one fatality and one critically wounded victim.

Authorities continue to investigate the motives behind these attacks as the region grapples with escalating violence.