Bloodshed at the Mexican Pipeline!

Eight shark fishermen gunned down in Puerto Escondido.

Puerto Escondido, one of Mexico’s most iconic waves and home to the recently finished big wave event won by Grant “Twiggy” Baker, has experienced a run of violence lately.

The teachers union has been striking in the state and clashing with police forces for weeks. The government has been gaining the upper hand, of late, but the region has been mostly paralyzed with snarled traffic, curtailed shopping hours and general bad vibes.

And now, last night, eight shark fishermen have been gunned down and killed. Four on the spot, four at the hospital. Lets read about it:

The shark fishermen were in a house in the Pacific port when the gunmen entered and opened fire. Four were killed at the scene while the other four died soon after being taken to a local hospital, prosecutors from the southern state of Oaxaca said on Tuesday.

One of the main lines of investigation is whether the men also engaged in other activities at sea aside from fishing, the prosecutors said in a statement.

Monitored by federal police and the Mexican Navy, the coast of Oaxaca is a strategic point for traffickers moving drugs from Central and South America to the United States. Shark hunters fish offshore using vessels larger than ordinary fishing boats.

More than 120,000 people have been killed in Mexico in violence linked to drug gangs since the start of 2007.

Famous for the powerful waves that roll into the Zicatela beach, Puerto Escondido is a small resort frequented by visitors from the United States and Europe, particularly Italians.

So much intrigue! Shark fishermen? Possible cartel action? Italian tourists? Does all of Mexico’s craziness make you want to stay away or, like me, does it make you want to book the next ticket and ride?

Viva Mexico!