MEXICO CITY (AP) – Mexican prosecutors said Thursday they have arrested two taxi drivers accused of assaulting two German tourists outside a club in the Caribbean resort town of Playa del Carmen. did.
Prosecutors in the coastal state of Quintana Roo announced that two drivers were arrested on suspicion of drug possession after they were found to have marijuana and cocaine in their taxi. The taxi drivers were not immediately charged in connection with last week’s assault.
Data shows 34 police officers have been killed in this dangerous Mexican city in three years
A video of the assault posted on social media shows about six men wearing the uniform of local taxi drivers – white shirts and black trousers – punching and kicking the couple as they lie on the ground. The situation was visible.
A woman was seen covering a man lying on the road with her body, trying to protect him from the rain of violent blows. However, the taxi drivers continued to hit the couple with things like boards and signboards and kick the man.
Authorities did not provide further information about the tourists or whether they were injured in the overnight attack. However, it said the taxi permits of the two suspects would be revoked.
Mexico’s taxi industry has been plagued by violence in resort communities. (Fox News)
This is not the first time taxi drivers have been involved in attacks in Playa del Carmen and Cancun in the north.
In 2023, there were a number of violent clashes between Medallion Taxi drivers and employees of the ride-hailing app. The high cost of taxis has long been a topic of debate in Cancun.
This is also not the first time taxi drivers have been linked to drugs in the area.
In January, authorities admitted that a criminal organization was trying to extort “protection money” from taxi drivers in Cancun. Five suspects have been arrested on suspicion of demanding about $12 a week for work permits from 200 unionized taxi drivers. In the past, such demands have typically been accompanied by threats to shoot drivers or burn down taxis that don’t pay.
The five people were caught in two taxis with marijuana and stimulants in their possession. They have been ordered held pending trial on extortion charges.
Violence at resorts in the region also affected tourists.
In February, prosecutors said an American woman and a man from Belize were shot dead at a beach club in the resort city of Tulum, south of Playa del Carmen, in what appeared to be an altercation between drug traffickers.
Prosecutors stressed that the American woman had no connection to the drug trafficker who was also killed in Friday night’s shooting. It seemed like the woman was simply caught in the crossfire.
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Foreign tourists have been killed in drug gang gunfights in the past at this once-quiet beach resort.
In Tulum in 2021, two tourists, one German and one an Indian-born California travel blogger, were murdered while eating at a restaurant. They were apparently caught in the crossfire of a shootout between rival drug dealers.
