The head of traffic police in Mexico’s Pacific coast resort of Acapulco, Eduardo Chávez, was shot and killed by gunmen. The crime is under investigation, and it is suspected that drug cartels in the area may have been involved. These cartels often coerce bus and taxi drivers to work for them, leading to potential conflicts with traffic police. Videos posted on social media showed drug gang enforcers brutally beating bus drivers in Acapulco for not cooperating with the cartel’s demands. The violence in Acapulco has been ongoing, with incidents such as the strangled bodies of two men found on the popular Condesa beach in February, showing signs of torture.
Acapulco has been struggling to recover after being hit by Category 5 Hurricane Otis in October, leaving at least 52 dead and causing destruction to hotels in the area. Despite efforts to attract tourists back to the resort, violence has continued unabated. In response to the escalating violence, the state government deployed 60 gun-toting detectives to patrol the beaches, following multiple deadly shootings in the area. The government has also pledged to build barracks for the National Guard in Acapulco, but even with a significant presence of troops, the gang violence persists.
Mexican drug gangs frequently use asphyxiation as a method of killing their victims, either by strangulation or suffocation using duct tape or plastic bags. The violence in Acapulco is driven by turf battles between gangs fighting over drug sales and extortion payments from businesses, bars, and transport services. Gang threats and attacks have caused about 90% of the city’s passenger vans to stop running, affecting the resort’s main form of transportation. Despite the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops and soldiers in the area, the gang violence has not been effectively contained.
The ongoing violence in Acapulco has led to a significant decline in the number of functioning hotel rooms, with only a fraction of the city’s 8,000 rooms being repaired after the hurricane. Tourists have begun trickling back into the resort, but the persistent violence remains a deterrent for many visitors. Incidents such as the shooting death of three people on beaches, including a case where the gunmen arrived and escaped by boat, highlight the challenges faced by local authorities in addressing the security situation in the area. The government’s efforts to improve security through increased military presence and infrastructure development have not yet produced the desired results in curbing the violence in Acapulco.
