Acapulco , Mexico ( CNN ) -- A pack of masked and hooded gunmen broke into a beach bungalow on the outskirts of Acapulco and raped six women tourists after tying up a group of men with cell phone cables and bikini straps , officials said Tuesday . Another woman , also in the rented home , was spared in the 2 a.m. Monday morning attack just east of the troubled Mexican resort city , where a spate of recent violence has tarnished the reputation of what was once a top spring break destination . The victims -- Spanish nationals , ranging in age from 20 to 34 -- are now under the protection of Mexican authorities . Acapulco Mayor Luis Walton condemned the attack during a Tuesday news conference and vowed to apprehend those responsible as world attention homed in on Pacific port city . `` It 's a very delicate situation , '' he said . `` We are going to have the full weight of the law against those responsible . '' He called it regrettable , apologized for the gunmen 's attack and said it would probably affect the image of Acapulco , which derives much of its revenue from tourism . `` We know that it 's very unfortunate what has happened , but it happens anywhere in the world , '' said Walton . The mayor later apologized for his comment , saying he `` very much regrets the misinterpretation of his words , which were never meant to harm the victims , nor minimize the facts . '' State prosecutor Martha Elba Garzon said her office would not reveal the names of the victims or anything related to the probe , but she vowed to uphold the `` responsibility to provide security to tourists and our people . '' Military checkpoints have since been set up in an effort to apprehend five men that authorities believe are responsible for the attacks . The men , they say , do not appear to be a part of organized crime . Investigators have also cordoned off the area surrounding the bungalow , located in an open area with limited security in Playa Encantada , as they sift through evidence . Acapulco , in the mountainous state of Guerrero on Mexico 's Pacific coast , was thought of as a relatively safe city despite rampant violence in the surrounding region . But a recent uptick in drug-related killings has compounded fiscal troubles brought on by the global financial crisis in the once glamorous Hollywood haunt . Its modern realities now stand in stark contrast to its older self as once a choice destination for America 's elite . In 1953 , John F. Kennedy took his new wife , Jacqueline , there for their honeymoon . Years later , Frank Sinatra immortalized the Mexican port city in his 1958 album `` Come Fly With Me . '' And Elizabeth Taylor tied the knot for the third time in Acapulco when she married producer Mike Todd . But after a series of gruesome murders in Guerrero , American and British authorities have since issued travel warnings . In recent years , the region 's drug wars are thought to have impacted the city 's tourism sector as rival cartels vie for control of drug routes originating in South America . It is not clear whether Monday 's attack was drug-related . And yet the port city has also shown signs of a rebound . Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal is expected to play at the Acapulco Open later this month , and Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim recently promised a series of new investment projects . Hotel occupancy rates inside Acapulco now hover around 65 % , according to the city 's Municipal Tourism Board . Image problem notwithstanding , Mexico has remained a top tourist destination for decades . It welcomed 20 million Americans in 2010 , the latest year for which federal data is available . The city of Acapulco also brought in roughly half a million tourists last year . Most of them were Mexicans , including residents from the capital and Cuernavaca who flocked to beaches a four-hour drive away . But the U.S. State Department said resort city bars , including those in Acapulco , can be `` havens for drug dealers and petty criminals . '' The agency said `` resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico generally do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime reported in the border region and in areas along major trafficking routes . '' Spain 's Foreign Ministry also advised travelers that `` while foreign tourists rarely are victims of kidnapping or extortion , they can be victims of assaults and robberies . '' It said Guerrero `` should especially be avoided , '' or travelers should proceed with `` extreme caution . '' An estimated 107,000 Spaniards live in Mexico . They reside mostly in the capital . CNN 's Nick Parker , Laura Reyes Maciel and Salomon Kauffman contributed to this report from Acapulco . Ariel Crespo and Nadia Sanders in Mexico City , Al Goodman in Madrid , and Nick Valencia and Catherine E. Shoichet in Atlanta also contributed to this report . David Ariosto wrote this story from New York .
Military checkpoints have since been set up in an effort to apprehend five men . The victims are Spanish nationals between ages 20 and 34 . Investigators have cordoned off the area surrounding the bungalow . The house is located in an open area with limited security in Playa Encantada , east of Acapulco .