Mexico Tourists Bask Amid Riviera's Deadly Drug Wars

Bright yellow police tape fluttered in the breeze outside a restaurant just off the main strip in the Mexican resort town of Tulum, as the lights of a nearby police truck flashed blue and red.

- Mattha Busby

Troops in camouflage fatigues stood guard outside the deserted late-night eatery La Malquerida, the site of a gangland shooting in which two tourists were killed and three wounded.

Anjali Ryot, an Indian travel blogger who lived in California and was on holiday celebrating her birthday, and Jennifer Henzold, a German tourist, died in the 20 October attack, which is believed to have been launched by one of several local crime groups in an attempt to assert control over the area’s drug and extortion rackets.

The attack made headlines around the world. But within days, the scene on Centaura Sur Street was back to normal: on a recent evening, restaurants were packed.

Most tourists flocking to the Mayan Riviera are unaware that they are holidaying on a battlefield, said one local worker. “They’re chilling, but they’re in the middle of a war,” he said.

The violence is not restricted to Tulum. Last month, guests at a resort 60 miles up the coast near Cancún rushed for cover after masked gunmen stormed a hotel beach by boat and opened fire, killing two suspected rivals.