An American woman, presumably a tourist, was fatally shot on February 9 by a stray bullet during a shootout between rival drug dealers at a beach club in the Mexican resort town of Tulum, officials said.

The woman’s identity was not disclosed by prosecutors, and the US Embassy has yet to comment on the incident. However, sources informed ABC News that she was Niko Honarbakhsh, a 44-year-old from Los Angeles residing in Cancun. Local news site Riviera Maya also referred to her as ‘Niko H.’

Prosecutors suspect that the woman was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire. Witnesses reported that the woman, accompanied by her dogs, was enjoying the sunset alone at the beach club when the shootout erupted. Onlookers initially mistook the gunshots for fireworks and were caught off guard by the rapid sequence of events, leaving them no time to react.

Quintana Roo prosecutors clarified that the woman had no affiliation with a man from Belize, who was also killed in the incident. He is suspected of drug dealing and was found with cocaine and pills. They refuted local media claims suggesting that the two victims were a couple, citing a photo from the scene of the Belizean man with a different woman. 

The suspects involved in the beach club shooting have been identified, and authorities are actively pursuing them.

Not the first time

The incident was not the first time drug-related shootouts in Tulum resulted in the deaths of foreign tourists. In 2021, an Indian-born Californian travel blogger and a German national lost their lives while dining at a restaurant in the town. 

Anjali Ryot from San Jose and 35-year-old Jennifer Henzold from Germany were caught in the crossfire of a gunfight between rival drug dealers at La Malquerida bar. Ryot was pronounced dead at the scene, while Henzold succumbed to her injuries after being rushed to a nearby hospital. 

The shooting also injured two German men, aged 26 and 25, as well as a 21-year-old woman from the Netherlands.

Following the latest incident, holidaymakers in Tulum have expressed concerns about the destination’s safety, with one individual sharing their distress on TripAdvisor after witnessing two murders unfold in front of them at the Mia Beach Club.

“Is Tulum no longer safe? 2 people murdered in front of me,” wrote a tourist from Austin, Texas, with the username Justin R. “My partner and I were enjoying the sunset on the beach yesterday at Mia Beach Club when all of a sudden some guy with a gun started chasing another man shooting at him while running in the middle of the beach club crowd.”

Responding to the initial comment, another tourist from New Jersey corroborated the account and said they also witnessed the woman and man being shot.

This incident underscores the travel advisory issued by The U.S. State Department in 2023. They urged Americans to exercise heightened caution, particularly after dark, in Mexico’s renowned Caribbean beach destinations like Tulum, Cancun, and Playa del Carmen.

Staying safe while abroad

UK tourists planning to visit Tulum are encouraged to seek travel security services from reputable firms like Marengo. Marengo offers a comprehensive range of services, including travel advice, country risk assessments, pre-travel security training, and coordination of travel logistics. They also work closely with local operators and providers to ensure the safety of their clients, particularly in challenging and remote environments.

Tourists and their families can also benefit from the presence of adaptable and discreet close protection officers who can ensure their safety without compromising their holiday experience. In addition, emergency evacuation and repatriation plans are in place for worst-case scenarios.