Authorities confirmed that four men were found dead with shots to the head on Friday near a resort outside Cancun, the New York Post reported.

Mexico's deputy public security chief, Luis Rodriguez Bucio, said authorities found the victims dead from gunshot wounds to the head near the highway leaving Cancun, including a Cancun police officer accused of accepting bribes in exchange for protecting a local brothel. according to The suspect had not been fired and was on medical leave at the time of his death, according to the New York Post.

Four men, including a police officer, shot dead near a Cancun resort after allegedly accepting bribes https://t.co/mSvPwnarYb pic.twitter.com/yLTReUaE2f

— New York Post (@nypost) August 2, 2024

To make matters even more dire, a former local police officer was detained after he was found rummaging through the pockets of one of the dead men, claiming that he was a friend. Authorities suspect the men may have been involved in a migrant smuggling escort operation, the New York Post reported. Cancun's strategic location on Mexico's Caribbean coast and extensive air network make it a transit hub for illegal immigrants, further complicated by the high tourist numbers.

Bucio said the recent violence may be linked to earlier raids in Cancun in which guns and drugs were seized. He also noted that most of the 88 murders recorded across Mexico on Thursday were linked to drug cartel activity, the media reported. These cartels are increasingly involved in both drug trafficking and migrant smuggling, competing for control of lucrative routes along coastal resorts. (Related article: Illegal immigrant with suspected drug cartel ties charged in connection to shooting: Report)

The incident came on the heels of another incident in Cancun, when gunmen on jet skis opened fire on a beach and a 12-year-old boy with his family was caught in the crossfire and killed, according to the New York Post.