An American woman has been killed in a shootout during an apparent drug deal gone awry at a popular beach resort in the Mexican city of Tulum.
According to ABC News, the Quintana Roo Attorney General’s Office said the suspected drug dealer from Belize and the American woman, later identified as 44-year-old Niko Honalbakhsh from Los Angeles, were killed on February 9. It was reported that an investigation into the incident had begun. .
The deceased man was in possession of cocaine, a “clear bag of red and orange pills” and a bag of “brown granular powder” at the time of the murder, and prosecutors say he was a drug dealer and a drug addict. It was determined that there was a high possibility that he was a member of a smuggling organization. gang.
Local reports had tried to bring the two together and it was reported that they were in a relationship. Prosecutors rejected these reports That is inaccurate, according to the statement.
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On February 9, 2024, an American woman was killed in a gunfight in the Mexican resort town of Tulum. (Daniel Gastaldi/Photo in association with Getty Images)
Prosecutors claim Honalbakhsh was killed by a stray bullet. Both bodies will be autopsied as part of the investigation.
Prosecutors have identified the suspect and are pursuing leads toward his arrest. None of the suspects’ names have been released.
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Mexican military units patrol the streets of Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico, on January 31, 2023. According to ABC News, Niko Honalbakhsh, 44, from Los Angeles, was shot and killed in Tulum on February 9, 2024. (David Gannon/AFP via Getty Images)
Several tourists have been killed in gang-related gunfights in Tulum in recent years. In 2021, two tourists, including a California travel blogger and a German national, were killed in a shootout between rival drug traffickers while they were dining at a restaurant.
Tulum is located south of Cancun and just a few hours north of the border with Belize, also on the Caribbean coast.
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Front view of the opening ceremony of Tulum International Airport in Tulum, Mexico, a popular resort destination for Americans, on December 1, 2023. (Medios y Media/Getty Images)
Last year, the United States issued a “do not travel” warning for some parts of Mexico ahead of the popular March spring break travel period, citing gang violence and warning that American citizens were “not allowed to travel to Mexico to buy synthetic drugs.” People have become seriously ill or died after using contaminated prescription drugs.” . ”
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Cartel members kidnapped four Americans who had crossed the border seeking cosmetic surgery, but two of the Americans and an innocent Mexican bystander were killed in a gunfight.
The U.S. State Department did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment at the time of publication.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
