Mexican Marines Kill Los Cabos Gunmen

Image: PHOTO: Los Cabos has been implementing numerous increased security measures recently to ensure the destination remains safe to visit. (photo via Flickr/Ken Bosma)
Image: PHOTO: Los Cabos has been implementing numerous increased security measures recently to ensure the destination remains safe to visit. (photo via Flickr/Ken Bosma)
Mia Taylor
by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 11:33 AM ET, Tue January 9, 2018

Seven people were killed in a shootout in San Jose del Cabo on Saturday.

The incident began when Mexican marines responded to reports of gunfire and encountered heavily armed men wearing tactical vests and riding in two cars with license plates from the US state of California, according to the Associated Press.

The cars sped off with the marines in pursuit and later crashed. There were two exchanges of gunfire, and all seven of the occupants in the two cars were killed by the marines.

Los Cabos has been implementing a variety of increased security measures recently designed to ensure the destination remains a safe place to visit.

The managing director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board, Rodrigo Esponda, told TravelPulse that the destination has invested $47 million to upgrade security: "Security is a priority for the destination and we have taken specific actions and efforts to intensify security."

As part of what Esponda described as a five-point action plan, Los Cabos is working with state, local and federal authorities to build a new marine headquarters that will include cameras monitoring all of Los Cabos.

"We have put together a specific action plan to ensure that Los Cabos remains a safe destination," said Esponda. "It has always been a safe destination, and this incident today will only embolden our efforts to make sure it remains that way."

Los Cabos welcomes about two million visitors, according to the tourism board.


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Mia Taylor

Mia Taylor

Senior Editor

Mia Taylor is an award-winning journalist who has two decades of experience. Most recently she worked as a staff writer for America's largest digital publisher DotdashMeredith, where she contributed stories on a daily basis to four of the company's most iconic brands - Parents,Real Simple, Better Homes & Gardens, and Health. Her work has also appeared in Travel + Leisure, The Boston Globe, The San Diego UnionTribune, Westways Magazine, Fortune, and more.

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