Dismembered bodies, shootout rock Mexican resort Cancun

Mexican Army soldiers secure a local area after an armed confrontation between the Ministerial Police and criminal groups in the downtown area of Cancun, Quintana Roo State, Mexico. June 15, 2017. AFP

CANCUN, Mexico—Three dismembered bodies stuffed in suitcases were found Friday in Cancun, hours after the Mexican resort town was rocked by a shootout and police chase that left one gunman dead.

It was unclear whether there was a link between the grisly discovery near the Caribbean beach and the dramatic shootout Thursday night, which terrorized the downtown area.

Cancun, a tourist paradise popular with foreign travelers, has seen a surge in violence in recent months that authorities blame on warring drug cartels.

The dismembered bodies, which have not yet been identified, were found near a mangrove at the edge of the hotel zone, a local security official who was not authorized to talk about the case told Agence France-Presse on condition of anonymity.

Some six hours earlier, a police operation went awry when a group of suspects opened fire on officers who had come to arrest them.

They then led police on a high-speed chase through the city center, a hail of bullets terrifying residents and passersby.

One suspect was killed. Four others were arrested.

The incidents come as Cancun prepares to host foreign ministers from around the region next week for a meeting of the Organization of American States.

In April, authorities deployed 1,000 police and army reinforcements in Cancun and the nearby resort town Playa del Carmen in response to a string of multiple shootings.