In a region plagued by cartel violence, investigators have discovered 17 bodies in an abandoned house in central Mexico. The gruesome find comes just days after seven people, including children, were gunned down in the same area.
The state prosecutor’s office confirmed that ground-penetrating radar and cadaver dogs were used to locate the bodies last week in Irapuato, Guanajuato. Knives, machetes, pickaxes, and shovels were also found at the scene.
Five of the victims have been identified as missing persons, according to prosecutors. The families of these individuals are currently being informed, said a Guanajuato state official, Jorge Jimenez.
Guanajuato is an industrial hub and home to several popular tourist destinations, but it is also Mexico’s deadliest state, with 3,151 homicides recorded last year – more than any other state in the country. This violence is linked to conflict between the Santa Rosa de Lima gang and the Jalisco New Generation cartel, one of the most powerful organizations in Latin America.
The cartel has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration. Civil society groups have formed to denounce government inaction, but these efforts often put their own lives at risk while searching for remains in unmarked graves.
Since 2006, when the military launched an anti-drug operation, Mexico has tallied about 480,000 violent deaths. The recent violence in Guanajuato has resulted in innocent bystanders and police officers being caught in the crossfire of cartel turf wars.
This month, officials reported that gunmen opened fire and killed seven people, including children, in Guanajuato. Two banners were found with messages alluding to the Santa Rosa de Lima gang, which often leave messages on victims’ bodies to threaten their rivals or punish behavior they claim violates their rules.
In February, five women and three men were shot dead in the street in Guanajuato. The month before that, security forces clashed with gunmen in the state, leaving 10 suspected criminals dead and three police officers injured.
The state prosecutor’s office is investigating the recent violence and has found connections to cartel activity. The investigation is ongoing, but it remains a stark reminder of the dangers faced by those living in regions plagued by cartel violence.
Source: CBS News
