A British Columbia man with alleged criminal connections was gunned down at a Starbucks in Mexico Saturday morning, the RCMP has confirmed.
Thomas Gisby was known for his involvement in drug trafficking and other illegal activities both in British Columbia and abroad, RCMP Chief Supt. Dan Malo alleged in an interview with CTVNews.ca Saturday night.
"This is yet another high-ranking criminal… that we've seen become the target of retaliation," Malo said.
Malo said the RCMP learned early Saturday morning that Gisby was shot at a Starbucks in Nuevo Vallarta, just north of the popular tourist destination Puerto Vallarta on Mexico's Pacific coast.
According to the Mexican newspaper El Universal, two suspects fled the scene in a Volkswagen Jetta.
The investigation by Mexican authorities is in its early stages and it was unclear Saturday who was behind Gisby's murder, Malo said.
Gisby was the head of his own criminal organization in B.C. – police referred to it as the Gisby Crime Group -- but he also had ties to other gangs in the province, Malo alleged.
Besides drug dealing and illegal gun trade, Gisby did "anything to make money," Malo alleged. He had a criminal record dating back to the 1990s.
Malo said the RCMP were "very well aware" that Gisby was in Mexico and could be a target there.
Now that he's dead, "there will be a period of disorganization" within some crime groups in B.C., Malo said.
"Should there be any retaliation or attempts at revenge … we're poised to deal with that," he said.
