Seven Men Shot Dead in Guerrero

The bullet-riddled bodies of seven men were found in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero, with six of the bodies discovered in Acapulco and one in Chilpancingo, the Public Safety Secretariat said.

Police found four bodies early Saturday in the Costa Azul section of Acapulco, a popular Pacific resort destination, after shots were reported fired in the area.

Two of the bodies were inside an automobile and the other two were in a nearby alley, the secretariat said.

Several messages were found at the crime scene, but officials did not reveal the contents.

Two more bodies were discovered near the first crime scene, officials said.

A man was shot several times inside his home in Chilpancingo, the capital of Guerrero, the secretariat said.

It is not known who killed the men, but the incidents may be drug-related, officials said.

Guerrero Gov. Angel Aguirre Rivero said Friday that additional police officers would be deployed in Acapulco to protect visitors during Holy Week.

Tourism Development Secretary Graciela Baez said earlier this month that Acapulco, which has been plagued by a wave of drug-related violence, was dealing with an unprecedented image crisis.

Acapulco, one of the oldest tourist destinations in Mexico, “is experiencing the worst image crisis in its history,” Baez said.

Preliminary figures indicate that both domestic and foreign tourist arrivals are falling in the resort city, Baez said.

Acapulco has been the scene of numerous drug-related killings in recent weeks linked to a broader war for control of the area being waged by several drug cartels.

The Cartel Independiente de Acapulco, the Pacifico Sur cartel and the Gulf cartel have been fighting for control of the resort city.

Gunmen clashed with federal and state security forces on April 4 in an incident that featured the use of grenades and started fires in several businesses.

In January, 22 people were massacred in Acapulco by suspected members of the Cartel Independiente de Acapulco, officials said.

Of the 22 victims, 15 were beheaded, and all the bodies were dumped outside a shopping center along with so-called “narcomessages.”

The war between the rival drug cartels left 370 people dead last year in Acapulco alone.

The violence has prompted tourists, especially those from abroad, to stay away from Acapulco.

Former Tourism Development Secretary Ernesto Rodriguez Escalona warned in February that Acapulco would likely be avoided this year by spring breakers from the United States and Canada.

“We lost the spring break season completely in Acapulco,” Rodriguez Escalona said.

About 13,000 college students spent their spring breaks in the resort city last year, the hotel association said.

Sources:
Pictures: AgoraGuerrero
EFE