Remains of 34 people discovered in region dominated by the CJNG
Using ground-penetrating radar techniques and cadaver dogs, Jalisco authorities found the remains of 34 people in Zapopan
Mexican authorities discovered the bodies of 34 people in a mass grave in a region of Jalisco plagued by cartel violence, the state prosecutor's office reported.
The remains were found during Search in the municipality of Zapopan, headquarters of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of the most powerful criminal groups in the country, according to prosecutor Salvador González at a press conference.
Ground-penetrating radar and cadaver dogs were used to search for bodies after the initial discovery of this grave last February, he added.
Criminal groups in the Latin American country often bury their victims in mass graves or incinerate them to leave no trace.
Jalisco is one of the Mexican regions most affected by the missing persons crisis, which has left more than 127,000 missing.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is one of the drug trafficking groups classified as a terrorist organization by the administration of President Donald Trump.
The cartel has been accused of using fake job ads to attract new members and of torturing and murdering recruits who They resist. In March, a group of people searching for missing relatives found charred bones, shoes, and clothing at a suspected cartel training camp. The cartel is led by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho.” Washington has offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his capture. Criminal violence has claimed around 480,000 lives in Mexico since 2006. Hundreds of mass graves have been discovered across the country. One of Mexico’s largest mass graves was reported in 2017, when more than 250 skulls were found in what appears to be a massive drug cartel burial ground on the outskirts of Veracruz. More recently, in January, at least 56 bodies were discovered in unmarked mass graves in northern Mexico,near the U.S. border.
Last month, Mexican authorities discovered 12 bodies buried in clandestine graves in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. Another 12 bodies were also found in several graves about two hours from Ciudad Juárez, which borders El Paso, Texas.