The security minister in the Caribbean coast resort town of Tulum died in the hospital on Saturday after he was shot on Friday night, state authorities said.
José Roberto Rodríguez Bautista, a navy captain turned police chief, was shot in the La Veleta neighborhood of Tulum and transferred to a hospital in serious condition, the Quintana Roo Attorney General’s Office (FGE) said in a statement on Saturday morning.
“Despite the efforts to save him, he lost his life hours later,” the FGE said.
An alleged member of a criminal group “dedicated to the sale of drugs” was killed at the location where the police chief and his bodyguard came under attack, authorities said.
According to the Quintana Roo Security Ministry (SSC), Rodríguez and his bodyguard were attacked at around 8:30 p.m. Friday by two men on a motorbike. The security minister and his bodyguard — who were reportedly in an official vehicle — returned fire and killed one of the assailants, the SSC said.
The bodyguard, who was not identified, was wounded and taken to hospital.
The FGE said it had opened an investigation into the events that led to the “regrettable death” of Rodríguez, who had been the security minister in Tulum for around six months. The second assailant fled the scene, evading arrest.
Citing preliminary information from federal sources, the newspaper Reforma reported that the crime group that carried out the attack on Rodríguez has links to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG.
Tulum is known around the world for its beautiful beaches and seaside archaeological site.
The resort town is also known as a party destination and high-end hippy hub where illicit drugs are widely available. Violence in Tulum has become increasingly common in recent years, and foreign tourists have been among those killed in the town.
According to the crime statistics website elcri.men, Tulum was the 16th most dangerous municipality in Mexico between March 2024 and February 2025 with 107.3 homicides per 100,000 residents.
The town is located about 130 kilometers south of Cancún. The Tulum airport opened in late 2023, giving air passengers direct access to the tourism destination.
Governor pledges to hold culprits to account
In written remarks above a video message posted to social media, Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama pledged to “apply the full weight of the law against those responsible for the cowardly attack” on Rodríguez.
“There will be no impunity,” she wrote.
In the video message, Lezama recognized “the work carried out by the minister” as well as his “commitment” and “dedication.”
“His results are clear. I vigorously and categorically reject this and any act of violence. None should go unpunished,” she said.
“My commitment as governor is unshakeable. They will not divert us from our resolve to guarantee the security and tranquility that all Quintana Roo residents deserve,” Lezama said.
“… Not one backward step in the fight for the tranquility and well-being of our people. I reaffirm that we won’t rest until the culprits of these acts are taken before justice and the full weight of the law is applied. The peace and security of the people of Quintana Roo is and will continue being our priority,” she said.
The Tulum municipal government also condemned the attack on Rodríguez, and extended its condolences to the family and friends of the deceased police chief.
With reports from Reforma, AFP, CNN Español and Aristegui Noticias
