At least 56 bodies have been found in unmarked graves in Mexico near the US border, local prosecutors say
At least 56 bodies have been discovered in unmarked mass graves in northern Mexico, not far from the border with the United States, local prosecutors said in a statement on Saturday.
The remains included some bodies, some complete skeletons and other partial remains, as well as clothing and shell casings. They were exhumed earlier this week in the state of Chihuahua – which lies along a drug and migrant smuggling route to the US – in a military-assisted operation that lasted several days, the statement said.
Prosecutors did not provide details on the possible identities of the victims.
The remains have been sent to a forensics lab to determine the time and cause of death, with the hope that the victims can be identified, prosecutors said.
The bodies were exhumed in an area known as “El Willy,” which is controlled by the La Linea criminal organization — one of the armed branches of the Juárez cartel active on the border, according to local media.
Mass graves are not uncommon throughout Mexico, particularly in areas affected by cartel violence. There is over 345,000 people in Mexico who have been reported missing, according to the country’s national registry.
Last monthMexican authorities discovered 12 bodies buried in secret graves in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. Another 12 bodies were also found in several graves about two hours from Ciudad Juarez, which is across the border from El Paso, Texas.
More than 450,000 people have been killed across the country since Mexico launched a major offensive against drug cartels in 2006.
One of the largest mass graves in Mexico it was reported in 2017 when more than 250 skulls were found in what appeared to be a drug cartel mass grave on the outskirts of the city of Veracruz.
