MEXICO CITY (AP) – Police and troops are searching for 10 to 12 suspected gang members who were abducted in a shocking raid by gunmen on an apparent celebration at an upscale restaurant in the popular beach resort of Puerto Vallarta.
Jalisco state prosecutor Eduardo Almaguer said Monday that local, state and federal authorities, including marines and soldiers, joined in the operation while investigators reviewed surveillance camera footage for clues.
Meanwhile, the city’s tourism promoters scrambled to reassure tourists that it was an isolated incident and that activities for visitors continued without interruption.
Both the kidnappers and those kidnapped were members of criminal organizations, Almaguer said at a news conference called to discuss the early Monday abduction in the resort’s main hotel zone.
“They were not tourists or residents who work in legal activities,” Almaguer said. “They were people tied to a criminal group we can very clearly presume.”