Cancun police dismiss Oklahoma college students’ claims of drugged water as ‘exaggerated’: report
Law enforcement in Mexico are claiming that the allegations made against a resort in Cancun are false and that the college girls from Oklahoma State University were never poisoned or drugged.
The head of the State Attorney General’s office (FGE), Raciel López Salazar, says an investigation has determined neither of the students had drugs in their system, Riveria Maya News reported.
In a statement issued to local media, López Salazar said “there was no drug dealing here in Quintana Roo with fentanyl.”
He added that the case has been “exaggerated and classifies it as simple alcohol consumption.”
Zara Hull and a group of friends were in Cancun for a four-day trip that was quickly cut short after she and Kaylie Pitze had a few drinks of the tainted water.
Disturbing photos shared by Hull and her family show the moment Hull and Pitze say they became unconscious after drinking water given to them at a poolside bar at a resort in Cancun.
Hull’s boyfriend, Jake Snider, transported both girls to a local hospital after they became ill and described that as being where the nightmare continued to unfold.
Stephanie Snider, Jake’s mother, recently said in a post on social media that she feared something worse was taking place.
“We believe they were planning to take her away to be trafficked or perhaps even to take her organs (which is what we were later told is a common thing that is done). They most likely would have done something to my son as well, possibly even death,” Snider said.
Following the allegations, local authorities discovered during the investigation that the girls were not staying in Cancun as reported, but at an Isla Mujeres hotel. According to Salazar, their investigation also showed their drug tests came back clean.
Local authorities have classified this case as a likely “drunken night” and the girls experienced symptoms of alcohol intoxication, the Riveria Maya News reported.
The outlet reported that the allegations made by Hull and Snider’s families have also caught the attention of the State Secretary of Tourism, Bernardo Cueto, who has called it a “very rare case and a very strange situation that is being investigated.”
During a recent radio interview, Cueto claimed they had approached the United States Consulate to contact the families, but there was no response of any kind.
“Through the consulate we requested more information from the relatives, but there was no response, there was no interest or intention from the relatives to give us more details of what happened,” Cueto said. “I have to tell you in no uncertain terms it seems very strange to me, a very strange situation because if someone’s health is affected in some establishment, the first thing you do is report the establishment where you were possibly or supposedly poisoned.”
To date, Cueto said no formal complaint has ever been filed by either family about the incident.
“That is all we have on the matter. We have nothing more. Unfortunately, it is a story that was used to affect the image of a destination,” Cueto explained.
He added that “without a doubt any case, like the one that is presumed to have happened at the destination, should be investigated, reported and prosecuted to punish the guilty parties, but in this case it is not known what happened, since there is no formal complaint.”
The Caribbean Business Coordinating Council of Quintana Roo has also become involved, Riviera Maya News reported. The council said they will remain attentive to any follow-up on this case. However, they are suggesting that local establishments monitor the customers they serve.
Eduardo Martínez González, the president of the Caribbean Business Coordinating Council, says hotels, restaurants and bars have been asked to monitor their guests to prevent consumers from overindulging in alcoholic beverages which they could be held liable for.
Nearly 27 hours later and after allegedly spending thousands of dollars, Hull’s family was able to negotiate with the US Embassy and have her flown to Dallas to continue medical treatment.
Hull was released from the hospital and returned home to Oklahoma with Jake on Sunday, Snider wrote.
