La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Nayarit, July 28, 2026 — An armed group restrained three workers, robbed an Oxxo and its neighboring gas station, and apparently set the convenience store on fire early Tuesday near the entrance to La Cruz de Huanacaxtle.
The attack began at about 3.30 a.m. at the Oxxo located beside a gas station on the road connecting La Cruz with Boulevard Riviera Nayarit. The ATM inside the store appears to have been a principal target, although the available reports differ on whether the group removed money from the machine or failed to open it.
Initial reporting said the assailants wore black clothing and carried long guns. They forced the store employee into a rear section of the building, tied her up and left her on the floor while they carried out the robbery.
A worker delivering merchandise to the store was also threatened and taken to the back of the property. The group took his cash, cellphone, vehicle keys, and other belongings. An attendant at the adjoining gas station reported being held at gunpoint and robbed of cash and a cellphone.
The store began burning as the assailants escaped. The Oxxo employee managed to get out and call emergency services, according to the local reports.
Bahía de Banderas Civil Protection and firefighters brought the blaze under control while municipal and state police secured the property. Traffic officers temporarily restricted passage near the business while emergency crews worked beside the gas station.
The case adds to a short sequence of attacks involving ATMs in Bahía de Banderas. VallartaDaily reported two earlier cases on July 7, including the June 8 robbery of another ATM in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and the removal of a Scotiabank machine from a pharmacy in Jarretaderas during the early hours of July 6.
An older adult was injured during the June robbery in La Cruz. In Jarretaderas, the assailants reportedly disabled surveillance cameras before removing the entire machine from the pharmacy on Avenida México.
Tuesday’s attack combined an apparent ATM robbery attempt with the armed restraint of workers, thefts at two neighboring businesses and a fire that heavily damaged the store.
Ministerial investigators and forensic personnel processed the property after firefighters completed their work. No arrests had been announced Tuesday, and the amount of money taken had not been disclosed.
