Current:Home > Scams18 bodies found in Mexico state plagued by cartel violence, including 9 left with messages attached-LoTradeCoin
18 bodies found in Mexico state plagued by cartel violence, including 9 left with messages attached
View Date:2024-12-23 20:31:35
Nine bodies were found Wednesday in a northern Mexican state reeling from a wave of drug cartel-related violence, authorities said, in the second such discovery in as many days. A homicide investigation was launched after the bodies of nine men were found in the city of Morelos in Zacatecas, the state prosecutor's office said.
It came just one day after nine bodies were found on an avenue in the city of Fresnillo, also in Zacatecas state. Messages addressed to a criminal group were found with those remains, authorities said. The bodies were dumped near a market two days after gang members blocked roads and burned vehicles in response to the capture of 13 suspected criminals. A pickup truck was being examined for evidence, officials said.
The state prosecutor's office said five of the victims in Fresnillo had been identified and their bodies handed over to relatives.
Fresnillo is considered by its residents to be the most dangerous city in Mexico.
Around 450,000 people have been murdered across the country since 2006, when the government launched a controversial anti-drug offensive involving the military, according to official figures.
Cartel activity and violence in Zacatecas
Zacatecas, which has one of the highest per-capita homicide rates of any Mexican state, is a key transit point for drugs, especially the powerful synthetic painkiller fentanyl, moving north to the U.S. border.
Zacatecas has been the scene of bloody turf battles between the Jalisco and Sinaloa drug cartels. The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration told CBS News in 2022 that the two cartels were behind the influx of fentanyl that's killing tens of thousands of Americans.
Last September, a search team looking for seven kidnapped youths in Zacatecas found six bodies and one survivor in a remote area.
Authorities in Zacatecas confirmed that a U.S. resident was among four people killed in the state around Christmas 2022. Earlier that year the bodies of five men and one woman were found dumped on a roadside in Zacatecas, and the bodies of eight men and two women were found crammed into a pickup truck left near a Christmas tree in the main plaza of the state capital.
The U.S. State Department has issued a "do not travel" advisory for Zacatecas, warning Americans to avoid the state due to the threat of crime.
"Violent crime, extortion, and gang activity are widespread in Zacatecas state," the advisory says.
- In:
- Drug Cartels
- Mexico
- Fentanyl
- Murder
- Cartel
veryGood! (4)
Related
- Are banks, post offices, UPS and FedEx open on Veterans Day? Here's what to know
- Why problems at a key Boeing supplier may help explain the company's 737 Max 9 mess
- 'This show isn't the facts': Drake criticizes Grammys, honors 'all you incredible artists'
- Who will run the US House in 2025? Once again, control could tip on California swing districts
- Supreme Court seems likely to allow class action to proceed against tech company Nvidia
- Michigan city ramps up security after op-ed calls it ‘America’s jihad capital’
- Céline Dion's Rare Outing With Son René-Charles at 2024 Grammys Put the Power of Love on Display
- 15 Must-Have Black-Owned Skincare and Beauty Brands That Are Breaking Barriers
- Detroit-area police win appeal over liability in death of woman in custody
- Which NFL team has won the most Super Bowls? 49ers have chance to tie record
Ranking
- Stop smartphone distractions by creating a focus mode: Video tutorial
- Why problems at a key Boeing supplier may help explain the company's 737 Max 9 mess
- Are you wearing the wrong bra size? Here’s how to check.
- King Charles III has been diagnosed with cancer, will halt public duties as he undergoes treatment
- Man killed in Tuskegee University shooting in Alabama is identified. 16 others were hurt
- King Charles III has been diagnosed with cancer, will halt public duties as he undergoes treatment
- Father of Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes arrested in Texas on suspicion of drunk driving
- Human remains found on beach in Canada may be linked to 1800s shipwreck, police say
Recommendation
-
Mike Tomlin's widely questioned QB switch to Russell Wilson has quieted Steelers' critics
-
Stock market today: Asian stocks mostly fall as Chinese shares skid despite moves to help markets
-
BaubleBar Founders (& Best Friends) Amy Jain and Daniella Yacobvsky Share Galentine's Day Gift Ideas
-
16-year-old killers of U.K. transgender teen Brianna Ghey sentenced to life in prison
-
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson weighs in on report that he would 'pee in a bottle' on set
-
Pigeon detained on suspicion of spying released after eight months
-
King Charles III diagnosed with cancer following hospitalization for prostate procedure
-
Bijou Phillips Gives Rare Life Update Amid Danny Masterson Divorce