Five dead in violent Christmas attacks in Mexican resorts

Cancún — Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations were marked by violence in northern Quintana Roo, with at least five people killed—including a woman and a minor—and three others seriously injured in several incidents in Cancún and Playa del Carmen, allegedly linked to disputes between violent criminal groups.

One episode occurred in the Alfredo V. Bonfil delegation, south of Cancún, where a brutal armed attack on Tuesday night left four victims. A man and a woman died at the scene, while two other people sustained serious injuries and were taken to a hospital, where they remain hospitalized under police guard.

According to initial lines of investigation, this attack could be related to recent high-impact arrests, including that of an alleged criminal leader known as “El Dóber,” which may have triggered reprisals or realignments among criminal groups. Following the events, police presence was reinforced in the area.

The violence continued during the morning of December 25 in Playa del Carmen, where a 36-year-old woman and her three-year-old son were shot and killed near the Municipal Detention Center, when they went to visit Samuel Esteban “N,” alias “El Troyano” or “El Max,” identified as the alleged leader of the criminal cell “Los Compich,” imprisoned for various violent acts in Tulum.

The attack occurred while the victims were waiting for visiting hours to begin; both tried to take refuge in a nearby store but were reached by the assailants.

Following this double homicide, authorities deployed an inter-institutional operation that led to the arrest of six people—three men and three women—for their probable involvement in the crime.

Among those detained is Irvin Alexander “N,” 21, who was captured while trying to flee in a vehicle, in which a 9-millimeter caliber firearm, allegedly used in the attack, was also found.

The State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) reported that the main line of investigation is related to the dispute between criminal groups dedicated to drug retailing.

That same Christmas Thursday, another violent incident was reported in the irregular settlement In House, also in Playa del Carmen, where a young man was found dead with visible signs of violence on a dirt road.

The body was located around 10:30 a.m. by neighbors on Xochimilco Bahía Street, who alerted authorities upon noticing the man no longer showed vital signs. Residents of the area reported hearing alleged gunshots during the early morning, though at the time they confused them with fireworks.

The victim was identified as Delmar Jehovany B. T., just over 25 years old, who, according to neighbors, worked as a baker.

Elements of the Municipal Police, Ministerial Police, and FGE experts carried out the corresponding procedures and opened an investigation file to clarify the circumstances of the homicide.

Finally, on Thursday afternoon, a man was shot while walking near his home in the Tres Reyes neighborhood, prompting an intense mobilization of security forces and emergency medical services.

The attack occurred on 6 de Enero Street, near a secondary school, where two individuals traveling on a motorcycle approached the victim and shot him directly before fleeing.

Municipal Police elements were the first to arrive at the scene, where they confirmed the man still showed vital signs, so he was treated by paramedics and taken to a hospital.

State authorities reported that investigations remain open in all cases and that security reinforcements are maintained in the areas where the incidents occurred, in an attempt to contain the violence that tragically marked the December festivities in Quintana Roo.