Question Any cartel violence in Cozumel?

[RobCom]

I've read some articles about cartel violence in Cancun which has worried my girlfriend. Does anyone know of any in Cozumel? Looking to travel back there this year and just want to put her at ease. Here's an article about the Cancun incident. Usually Cozumel is pretty safe because it is an island and criminals can't escape too quickly.

Recent beachside attacks reveal a new cartel turf war in some of Mexico's most popular tourist destinations

 

[Mr. Dooley]

Just got back from Cozumel a couple days ago. No reports of violence I was aware of, everything seemed chill around where we were staying.

I know Tulum had an incident in the past year or so where a couple tourists died, according to our dive guide (stuff online corroborated it). Personally though I felt OK in Tulum and the cenotes there were well worth it.

If you're on the west side of the island be sure to grab dinner at Sereno. You have to go through the hotel downtsairs to get to the restaurant. Get their 24 hour chicken. Seriously. You won't regret it. It's a nice change of pace from the sort of over the top / tacky joints (which can be fun too) that are all over the place.

 

[jwarrenod]

My wife, 23 year old son and I were in Puerto Morelos over Christmas and New Year’s. There was a significant National Guard presence in town and on the beach which I was told by locals was in order for visitors to feel comfortable due to concerns about the violence in Cancun. We never saw anything that made us nervous at all. We were out fairly late several nights and never noticed anything concerning (and I was looking, not nervous, but aware).

Sorry, I can’t speak to Cozumel in particular, just the area near Cancun.

 

[tridacna]

Been discussed many times...here's just one thread. There are more.

Violence in Cancun

After a long break from diving we (my better half and I) are looking to take our first grown-up vacation away from our kids. Cozumel came up as a potential destination… but the recent shooting incidents in Cancun give me pause. What is the general feeling about visiting a dive resort in the...

scubaboard.com

 

[gopbroek]

Cozumel is very protective of its tourists. I doubt it is possible for a tourist to walk in town without a protective eye observing them. There is some minor crap amongst street level drug gangs, like just about every city in America but nothing like you would see on Narco’s. I feel safer in Cozumel than in most cities in America.

The mainland has some issues due to a shakeup within the controlling cartel 4-5 years back, which resulted in the local crime boss 'Doña Lety' being pushed out and subsequently arrested. This threw the Cancun Plaza up for grabs and multiple cartels have been jockeying for position ever since. For the most part they keep to themselves and most of what you see in the news is street level drug gangs battling over territory, the same as they have been doing in Americas cities for the last 40 years. The mainland gets a lot of the younger party crowd which fuels a lot of the street level drug trade in addition to the local users. Just like in America would you feel safe in a bar late at night where drugs are being sold in the open and being consumed? I think not, there are areas in the large cities here in Texas I would not feel comfortable going to late at night (like our state fair grounds) The mainland and Cozumel are about 12 miles and a universe apart.

 

[MMM]

I suspect there is a bit of it, given the stories in the local media about drug seizures. But it is in Spanish, so most tourists are blissfully unaware. No shootouts in bars or beach clubs yet, though.

 

[Christi]

Cozumel is very protective of its tourists. I doubt it is possible for a tourist to walk in town without a protective eye observing them. There is some minor crap amongst street level drug gangs, like just about every city in America but nothing like you would see on Narco’s. I feel safer in Cozumel than in most cities in America.

The mainland has some issues due to a shakeup within the controlling cartel 4-5 years back, which resulted in the local crime boss 'Doña Lety' being pushed out and subsequently arrested. This threw the Cancun Plaza up for grabs and multiple cartels have been jockeying for position ever since. For the most part they keep to themselves and most of what you see in the news is street level drug gangs battling over territory, the same as they have been doing in Americas cities for the last 40 years. The mainland gets a lot of the younger party crowd which fuels a lot of the street level drug trade in addition to the local users. Just like in America would you feel safe in a bar late at night where drugs are being sold in the open and being consumed? I think not, there are areas in the large cities here in Texas I would not feel comfortable going to late at night (like our state fair grounds) The mainland and Cozumel are about 12 miles and a universe apart.

I am sorry gopro, but you are either wearing rose colored glasses or you're very sheltered. There has been pretty significant cartel activity on the island in the past 2-3 years. As MMM stated, "most tourists (and I will add sheltered expats) are blissfully unaware. No shootouts in bars or beach clubs yet, though." With that said, the cartel activity has been mostly away from the tourist areas and is not random crime - it is targeted towards specific cartel members or those who have crossed them in some way.

I'll also add that comparing Cancun to Cozumel would be like comparing Chicago with a lakeside resort town. Two completely different worlds and 60 miles apart plus a body of water in between.

There is no need for tourists to be worried about this unless you are attempting to buy, sell, consume or hang out after hours in local bars. They are not interested in harming tourists, they know where their bread and butter comes from. The cartels are simply gangs that participate in the same illegal activities that gangs in every US city participate in - so if you are worried about cartel violence, then you should be equally worried about what is going on in every US city. I think you are less likely to get caught in crossfire in tourist areas than you are going to the grocery store in the US - just saying.

 

[ReefHound]

The manager of Mamitas in PDC was killed last night by two men who fled on a personal watercraft.

Manager of Mamitas Beach Club in Playa del Carmen executed with a shot to the head - The Yucatan Times

The manager of Mamitas Beach Club, in Playa del Carmen, was executed with a coup de grace, on the afternoon of Tuesday, January 25. La Jornada | Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo (January 25, 2022).- According to the 911 report, shortly before 6:00 p.m., a man's body was found inside a bathroom in...

www.theyucatantimes.com

Club manager killed by gunmen at Mexican Caribbean tourist resort

Two gunmen killed an Argentine man who managed a popular club in Playa del Carmen, at Mexico's Riviera Maya tourist resort, local authorities said Wednesday.

www.batimes.com.ar

 

[lionfish-eater]

FGE Quintana Roo asegura vivienda con diferentes drogas y un arma de fuego en Cozumel

Durante un cateo realizado en una vivienda en Cozumel, la Fiscalía General del Estado de Quintana Roo informó sobre la detención de dos personas y más de 130 diferentes drogas

www.poresto.net

 

[lionfish-eater]

The manager of Mamitas in PDC was killed last night by two men who fled on a personal watercraft.

Manager of Mamitas Beach Club in Playa del Carmen executed with a shot to the head - The Yucatan Times

The manager of Mamitas Beach Club, in Playa del Carmen, was executed with a coup de grace, on the afternoon of Tuesday, January 25. La Jornada | Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo (January 25, 2022).- According to the 911 report, shortly before 6:00 p.m., a man's body was found inside a bathroom in...

www.theyucatantimes.com

Club manager killed by gunmen at Mexican Caribbean tourist resort

Two gunmen killed an Argentine man who managed a popular club in Playa del Carmen, at Mexico's Riviera Maya tourist resort, local authorities said Wednesday.

www.batimes.com.ar

I hope this doesn't affect the Riveria Maya Jazz Fest hosted there.