Tulum Eviction Turns Violent, Two Shot in Midnight Raid

Tulum, Mexico — A violent eviction early Thursday morning shook the irregular settlement known as Palma Real or "Tren Maya," located approximately six kilometers south of Tulum in the direction of Felipe Carrillo Puerto. The incident left two individuals wounded by gunfire as armed assailants forcibly displaced residents from the area.

Attack Under Cover of Darkness

According to testimonies gathered from residents, the attack began around 3:00 a.m. when an armed group stormed the property and opened fire on those present. At least two people sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to a hospital for emergency medical treatment. Their current condition remains unknown.

"The gunshots woke us up. They didn’t give us any time—we just ran to hide with our children. They shot two of our neighbors who were near the entrance," recounted a woman who has lived at the site for over eight years.

Authorities Remain Silent

The property was later secured by police and state security forces. However, as of the closing of this edition, authorities had not issued an official statement regarding the incident or confirmed any arrests.

History of Disputed Evictions

This latest event adds to a series of prior evictions in the same area, where dozens of families have been displaced amid legal disputes over land ownership, alleged real estate fraud, and complaints about the use of force in operations. Most residents—construction workers, street vendors, and single mothers—insist they acquired their plots in good faith and demand basic safety guarantees, denouncing what they describe as a systematic campaign of intimidation.

"The government knows families live here. It’s not fair for them to come in the middle of the night with guns as if we were criminals. We just want a place to live," said one of the affected individuals.

Calls for Intervention

With the property now cordoned off, residents are calling for human rights organizations to intervene and for a thorough investigation to identify those responsible for the attack and determine under whose orders they acted. Uncertainty and fear persist among the community, many of whom have lost belongings in previous evictions and now fear for their physical safety.

The situation highlights ongoing tensions over land rights and housing insecurity in the region, where vulnerable populations continue to face displacement amid unclear legal frameworks and sporadic violence.