Mystery as authorities find mass grave with dozens of bodies in bags
Investigators in Mexico made a grisly discovery this year, finding dozens of bodies at a construction site in Mexico.
Yesterday, prosecutors said they have identified at least 17 of the 34 bodies found in Zapopan, in Jalisco, Mexico, after remains were found buried in a mass grave.
169 bags were filled with human remains and found by builders in February, prompting a forensic investigation.
It's the second time this year Jalisco has been in the spotlight. In March, a group looking for missing people found human remains and clothing items in a ranch used by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Known as the 'Rancho Izaguirre' case, 15 people have been arrested, including the mayor of a nearby town.
Hundreds of thousands of Mexicans have been listed as 'disappeared' by the government in the past 20 years, as families desperately search for answers.
Between 2020 and 2022, the number of missing people on the Interior Ministry's national registry, which dates back to 1964, rose from about 73,000 people to more than 100,000, with most of them being men.
The majority were between 15 and 30 years old, from lower-income families, the National Search Commission (CNB) reported last year.
Police, the military, and cartel groups are believed to be behind many of the incidents.
Earlier this year, nine students who went on holiday in southern Mexico in February were found with their hands severed, left in a deserted car.
The bodies were found in San Jose Miahuatlan, roughly 175 miles from Mexico City, and were feared to be yet another cartel killing. More Trending
The nine students had reportedly travelled from Tlaxcala to Oaxaca for holidays when they were targeted – but other local news outlets have claimed they were members of 'Los Zacapoaxtlas', another gang.
As of May 2024, cartels controlled about one-third of Mexico's territory, with the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels responsible for the vast majority of drug trafficking in the United States, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
There are worries that violence could increase further. According to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, lethal clashes between gangs have increased 18% since 2023.
In 2014, 43 students from a Rural Teacher's College were kidnapped in a famous case – there is no indication that the students are alive. Only three of the students' remains have been found.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Sister makes desperate plea for twin who went missing at food bank
MORE: Ten killed and several injured after shooting at religious festival in Mexico
MORE: Two arrested after 'hardworking peacemaker' stabbed to death outside prayer centre
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Metro
10 hours ago
- Metro
Mystery as authorities find mass grave with dozens of bodies in bags
Investigators in Mexico made a grisly discovery this year, finding dozens of bodies at a construction site in Mexico. Yesterday, prosecutors said they have identified at least 17 of the 34 bodies found in Zapopan, in Jalisco, Mexico, after remains were found buried in a mass grave. 169 bags were filled with human remains and found by builders in February, prompting a forensic investigation. It's the second time this year Jalisco has been in the spotlight. In March, a group looking for missing people found human remains and clothing items in a ranch used by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Known as the 'Rancho Izaguirre' case, 15 people have been arrested, including the mayor of a nearby town. Hundreds of thousands of Mexicans have been listed as 'disappeared' by the government in the past 20 years, as families desperately search for answers. Between 2020 and 2022, the number of missing people on the Interior Ministry's national registry, which dates back to 1964, rose from about 73,000 people to more than 100,000, with most of them being men. The majority were between 15 and 30 years old, from lower-income families, the National Search Commission (CNB) reported last year. Police, the military, and cartel groups are believed to be behind many of the incidents. Earlier this year, nine students who went on holiday in southern Mexico in February were found with their hands severed, left in a deserted car. The bodies were found in San Jose Miahuatlan, roughly 175 miles from Mexico City, and were feared to be yet another cartel killing. More Trending The nine students had reportedly travelled from Tlaxcala to Oaxaca for holidays when they were targeted – but other local news outlets have claimed they were members of 'Los Zacapoaxtlas', another gang. As of May 2024, cartels controlled about one-third of Mexico's territory, with the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels responsible for the vast majority of drug trafficking in the United States, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. There are worries that violence could increase further. According to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, lethal clashes between gangs have increased 18% since 2023. In 2014, 43 students from a Rural Teacher's College were kidnapped in a famous case – there is no indication that the students are alive. Only three of the students' remains have been found. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Sister makes desperate plea for twin who went missing at food bank MORE: Ten killed and several injured after shooting at religious festival in Mexico MORE: Two arrested after 'hardworking peacemaker' stabbed to death outside prayer centre
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Prosecutors in Jalisco, Mexico say they found 34 bodies in a mass grave
Prosecutors in the western Mexican state of Jalisco said Friday that investigators have found at least 34 bodies in a mass grave discovered earlier this year. Human remains packed into 169 bags were discovered during excavations at a construction site in the city of Zapopan in February. Construction teams alerted authorities, who launched a forensic investigation. After months of work at the site, forensic experts reported identifying at least 17 bodies and continue working to identify additional victims and analyze the scene. The gruesome discovery has once again drawn attention to Jalisco, which in March became the center of controversy after collectives searching for missing people found human remains and hundreds of clothing items in a ranch once used by the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel for recruiting and training members. To date, some 15 people have been arrested in connection with the case, including the mayor of Teuchitlán, who was detained last month. The 'Rancho Izaguirre' case sent chills down the spines of many Mexicans, who for years have endured soaring levels of cartel violence and the forced disappearance of more than 125,000 people. Families searching for their missing loved ones say that discoveries of such sites underscore the depth of violence and impunity in violence-torn regions like Jalisco. The discovery of the mass grave in Zapopan prompted calls from victims' families and human rights advocates for authorities to better investigate the scene and funnel more resources into the search for missing people.
NBC News
4 days ago
- NBC News
Over a hundred people jabbed with syringes at French music festival
Nearly 150 people were jabbed with syringes during a street music festival in France, the country's interior ministry said, adding that authorities had arrested at least 12 suspects. Across France, millions of people spilled out into the streets over the weekend to celebrate the annual music festival Fête de la Musique. In the French capital of Paris, authorities reported that there were three to four times as many people in public as normal. The needle attacks involved 145 victims, including 13 cases in Paris, the French Interior Ministry told NBC News in a statement, adding that at least 12 people had been arrested. In the northeastern French city of Metz, local police arrested two individuals, including a 'syringe attacker,' during the festival that broke all attendance records, Mayor François Grosdidier said in a post on Instagram. 'Risks are always present in we had to deal with syringe attacks,' Grosdidier wrote. The first syringe attack in Metz was reported at about 9:15 p.m. local time, he said, adding that the victims included 15 young women between the ages of 14 and 20. The suspected syringe attacker had been arrested and handed over the National Police for further investigations, he added. "I hope that the investigation, particularly through the examination of his cell phone, will lead to the identification of other attackers," Grosdidier said. French officials did not say if these were cases of 'needle spiking,' which typically see attackers inject victims with date-rape drugs such as Rohypnol or GHB, typically in the arm, leg or buttocks, leaving them disoriented and vulnerable to assault. Warnings about the attacks first appeared on TikTok from social media influencer Abrège Soeur, who said in a post on Saturday that "Men are planning to attack and sting women at the Fête de la Musique on June 21st." Soeur, who describes herself as a feminist, suggested that women in danger during the festival use "H&M" as a code. "Approach the person and ask, 'Where's your top from?' If they answer 'H&M,' it means they need help," Soeur said. If "you are in danger, hail someone over and ask, 'Where's your top from? H&M, right?'" she added. This year's summer music festival season in Paris has brought with it renewed fears of syringe attacks after a wave of reports in 2022. At the time, the French government put out alerts advising people to stay vigilant, go to the police, and take a toxicology test if they suspected they had been drugged by a needle prick. More than 370 people were arrested on various charges during the festival that year, including nearly 90 in Paris. Among the 14 seriously injured festival-goers was a 17-year-old who was hospitalized from wounds to the lower abdomen, according to news agency Agence France-Presse.
