Seven Bodies Dumped in Zihuatanejo

In just the kind of news nobody wanted to hear on the eve of the start of the cruising season in Mexico, police in Zihua found the bodies of seven Mexican men at a downtown bus stop. A message to rival gang members allegedly signed by The Knights Templar, an offshoot of the pseudo-religious La Familia drug cartel, was found with the bodies.

The outskirts of Zihua, which is about 135 miles north of Acapulco, had been the scene of some drug violence in the past, as rival gangs battled over turf. Then it quieted down. But dumping bodies in the downtown area is not a good sign at all.

Zihua has a beautiful bay and has long been popular with Mexicans and tourists alike. It’s the site of Zihua SailFest, a fantastic cruiser fundraiser for local schools and indigenous children who wouldn’t otherwise get an education.

Cruisers we spoke to who visited Zihua last year reported that things seemed very peaceful and mellow. But having bodies dumped in the street puts a whole different light on it.

If anyone wants to scratch for silver linings, they can be found in the fact that clearly no tourists were targeted and that, from a cruiser perspective, Zihua is on the periphery. For those who missed our previous report, the main cruising areas on the Pacific Coast of Mexico have been remarkably free of drug violence. We’re talking about all of Baja south of Tijuana and up into the Sea of Cortez, and also the Vallarta Coast and Gold Coast down to Manzanillo.