Tourists Robbed At Gunpoint On Beach Near Cancun

Last Updated 2 years ago

Around 5:30 in the afternoon on Sunday, a group of 6 armed robbers arrived at Isla Blanca beach on jet skis, and robbed multiple families including foreign tourists vacationing in the area. According to eyewitness accounts the 6 armed robbers made land on Isla Blanca beach near the Extreme Zone Beach & Spa Hotel, and the Cabanas de Isla Blanca lodging facility. 

They proceeded to threaten the multiple beach goers at gunpoint forcing them to give up their belongings. Amongst the families that were robbed by the armed thieves was a member of the military, he was disposed of a weapon that he was carrying as part of the robbery. One of the tourists on the beach was badly beaten by the robbers for refusing to cooperate, and giving up his belongings. 

This person had to be taken to the hospital by his wife after the attack. Preliminary reports indicate that the injuries sustained by this person were not life-threatening. Within the chaos one of the robbers fired his weapon causing a bullet to skim one of the beach goers. Thankfully the person that was impacted by the bullet is also in stable condition. 

Police Arrived On The Scene After A Call Was Made To 9-1-1    

Local police arrived at the part of the beach known as Rodal Santa Fátima III where the events allegedly took place. Upon their arrival they took the testimony of the beach goers that were robbed, and as part of their findings they realized that the group of tourists that had been mugged included foreign nationals, as well as the previously mentioned army member. 

Local police encouraged the tourists to present a formal complaint to be able to pursue the matter further, and potentially arrest the perpetrators of the attack. In fact, members of the armed forces also arrived on the scene and set up a perimeter to look for the men who had presumably gotten away via the same jet skis that they arrived on. As of Monday evening none of the 6 attackers is under police custody.

The Second Pirate Attack In The Cancun Area Over The Last Few Months  

This modern pirate attack in Isla Mujeres is not the first time that robbers use the sea to attack tourists and subsequently evade police. About two months back a similar attack took place in Playa Tortugas in Cancun where armed robbers on jet skis rode onto the beach guns blazing causing a major panic amongst the tourists that were unfortunately present at the beach on that particular day. That incident led to calls to increase the amount of security personnel on local beaches. Something that both local and federal authorities agreed to, particularly to protect Cancun beaches during the Spring Break season.   

A Vulnerable Part of The Isla Mujeres Coastline

Although these modern pirate attacks are by no means a common occurrence in Cancun the fact that a second incident has taken place in a short amount of time has authorities questioning the vulnerability of certain beaches. In this particular case the attack took place less than a mile out from the Riu Dunamar and the Riu Palace Costa Mujeres. The beach is certainly one of the most visited beaches in the Isla Mujeres coastline, it’s vulnerable, in the sense that this particular beach looks out onto the open sea, and not the Cancun mainland. 

The beach’s location, and the fact that police and military personnel were not guarding the beach at the time of the attack made it a prime target. Members of the police, the military and the national guard arrived on the scene after the incident, and remained patrolling the area. It’s not clear how much longer the beach will feature this much security.  

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