12-Year Old Killed by Stray Bullet from Jet Ski Gunmen in Cancun, Quintana Roo

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

A 12-year old boy was killed by a stray bullet after armed men on jet skis opened fire on a beach in Cancun, Quintana Roo yesterday afternoon. Their target was an alleged drug dealer who fled on foot, unharmed.

According to local news, the gunmen arrived on jet skis around 3 p.m. of 28 June on the beach in front of the hotel Riu Cancún and opened fire at their target, a man described by some outlets as being a drug dealer. Their target ran away unharmed. 

The sole victim, identified as 12-year old Santiago, was struck in the chest by a bullet. Witnesses say he collapsed in front of  his family. He was taken to an IMSS hospital in Cobá, where he died. 

Attacks such as this threaten to shatter Cancun's image as a tropical vacation paradise. Homicides have steadily increased across the state over the last decade, driven by disputes between criminal groups who fight for control of plazas for the sale of drugs, prostitution, and extortion. Just last year, homicides increased an alarming 31% to 805. 

Much of this violence is centered around the hotel district of Cancun, where wealthy tourists have created a lucrative market for the sale of drugs and other vices. According to one local news site, the price of a marijuana blunt rises 600% in this area. 

Graph created by author by INEGI homicide figures.

Jet ski facilitated attacks along the coastline are one way criminal groups have adapted to the local geography. There have been about a dozen similar attacks over the last couple years. Dr. John P. Sullivan, a researcher focused on organized crime told InSight Crime: "This is not really new, jet skis were used earlier (than 2016) in smuggling operations. Beach assaults will continue as long as trafficking and street-level sales occur in contested beach markets.”

Jet skis enable a rapid attack and easy retreat from grounded security forces. Henry Shuldiner of InSight Crime noted how they mimic the motorbike assassinations common across Latin America, with one criminal driving and one shooting. The perpetrators are never captured.

In response to the spate of attacks, in 2021, the local sailors union requested that the government regulate the use of jet skis in the Cancun region, as well as better monitor the coastline, reported local news. The following year, thirty beachfront businesses signed an agreement to share their CCTV footage with local authorities.

According to locals in the jet ski sector, criminals often steal from their fleets, using the jet skis for crimes before discarding them or even returning them to their docks. For fear of retribution, these crimes are rarely reported.

Sources: Aristegui Noticias, Quintana Roo Hoy, Animal Politico, XEVT, InSight Crime, Por Esto, SIPSE, Small Wars Journal, Por Esto, Por Esto, Por Esto