Fear: Mexican authorities find 8 bodies in Cancun resort zone

Mexican authorities found eight bodies that were dumped in the Cancun resort zone while police searched for missing people in wooded lots and a sinkhole, authorities said on Tuesday.

The discovery is the latest of many killings in the tourism state of Quinana Roo, in which Mexican nationals and foreign tourists alike have been executed by drug cartels and crime sprees. 

Over the weekend, authorities found five of the bodies at an abandoned building site about 10 miles from Cancun’s hotel zone. According to The head prosecutor of the state of Quintana Roo, Oscar Montes de Oca, they were dumped there between one week and two months ago. Three of the bodies were identified as individuals that had been reported missing. 

The remaining three bodies were found in a wooded area on the outskirts of Cancun. The victims have not yet been identified.

There are at least 112,000 missing people in Mexico, prompting authorities to search for clandestine gravesites throughout the country, which are often used to dispose of bodies. Then bodies are thought to be victims of the cartels that are fighting to expand their territory on the Caribbean coast. 

Authorities have been carrying out searches to find the missing individuals throughout the country. Authorities enlist the help of volunteers, usually relatives of the missing people, to conduct the searches. They also use search dogs. 

Cancun, a popular tourist destination in Mexico, has seen a rise in organized crime in recent years. Earlier this month, Mexican authorities found four bodies outside the popular Fiesta Americana Hotel in Cancun. Three male bodies are thought to be alleged drug dealers, according to local media. However, Mexican authorities have not confirmed the men’s connection to drug cartels. So far, two suspects involved in the killings were arrested, authorities reported. 

An American tourist was shot in the city in March. The man was approached by several suspects and shot in the leg. He was taken to a hospital in Cancun for treatment and his injury was determined to be non-life-threatening.