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Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Two men opened fire on a bar in a non-tourist area of a coastal resort city in eastern Mexico, killing seven men, authorities said Monday. The attack occurred around 8 p.m. Sunday at the "Las Virginias" bar in a low-income section away from the beachside portion of Playa del Carmen in the Yucatan Peninsula, the Riviera May News reported. Six men were found shot to death in the bar and another died at a local hospital.
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Playa del Carmen faces the island of Cozumel, and is south of Cancun and north of Tulum.
Police said two men arrived on a black motorcycle. Witnesses told the Yucatan Times several blasts were heard, followed by individual shots. The suspects got into an awaiting vehicle and escaped at a high speed.
"This cowardly act should not go unpunished. We will work hand-in-hand with federal and state corporations to deal with organized crime and rescue the image of Solidaridad as a tourist destination," said the General Directorate of Public Safety and Traffic in the Solidaridad municipality.
Alfredo Paz Cetina, who leads the General Secretariat's Office, says a "zero tolerance" policy will be implemtjed for bars and nightclubs regarding regulations and security personnel.
On Jan. 16, 2017, six people died and 15 were wounded at the Blue Parrot in Playa del Carmen during an electronic music festival that involved a dispute between drug dealers.
