Beach bar manager shot in Mexico on same day two charged in Canadian tourist killings

Bar manager shot dead in Riviera Maya as popular Mexican resort region grapples with violence, security issues

The manager of a popular Mexican beach bar has been found shot dead – on the same day two people were arrested in connection with the shooting of three Canadian tourists just days earlier in the popular vacation destination of Riviera Maya.

Argentinean Federico Mazzoni, who managed Mamita’s, was discovered dead in a bathroom of the club Tuesday with two gunshots to the head, local media reported.

The attorney general’s office in Quintana Roo confirmed in a tweet on Tuesday that a restaurant employee had been killed in the municipality of Solidaridad – where Mamita’s is located, about an hour down the coast from Cancun – but did not name the business. The tweet added that agents had been sent to the scene to investigate.

On the same day, Mexican authorities announced two people had been arrested in connection with the shooting deaths last Friday of two men and one women who were part of a Canadian tourist group.

The attack took place at the XCaret Hotel in Playa del Carmen, frequented by visitors from the US, Canada and Europe, though the area has been plagued recently as drug violence spills over into resort territory.

The attorney general’s office said Tuesday that, after a multi-agency investigation, a Mexican man and foreign woman were arrested and charged with homicide and attempted homicide in connection with the attack on the Canadians.

The Puerto Vallarta Daily News reported that officials determined “the deceased were attacked due to a ‘debt’ that they had due to ‘illegal transnational activities.’ In addition, the Prosecutor’s Office has indicated that the executions ‘began and were prepared abroad.’”

Following the XCaret incident, Quintana Roo state security chief Lucio Hernández said in a tweet that the violence erupted after an “argument between hotel guests”.

Citing Canadian authorities, he added that the gunman as well as the victims had criminal records related to robbery, drug, and weapons offenses.

In a separate tweet, Mr Hernández had also appealed for any information about the gunman, sharing CCTV of the alleged shooter wearing a light gray sweatshirt and sweatpants.

The full names of the two arrested, who remain in custody until a hearing Saturday to determine their fate, have not yet been released.