On Tuesday, the state prosecutor’s office in Jalisco, Mexico reported that 45 bags of human remains were found in Zapopan, a suburb of Guadalajara. The characteristics of the remains match those of seven people who were reported missing.
“Forty-five bags with human remains have been extracted that belong to both male and female people,” the state prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
“Work in the Mirador Escondido neighborhood began yesterday afternoon when a black plastic bag with human remains was found,” the statement said.
In Mexico’s western region near Guadalajara, seven call center employees were reported missing between May 20 and May 22. Authorities were searching for two women and six men, all approximately 30 years of age. Recently, bags were retrieved from a deep ravine about 130 feet below the call center which matched the physical characteristics of some of the missing employees. This suggests that the bodies found inside may belong to the missing individuals.
A helicopter was used by firefighters and civil defense to airlift some of the human remains. The identities and number of victims are still being investigated by forensic teams. It’s worth noting that over 100,000 individuals are currently reported missing in Mexico. Moreover, this is not the first instance when several bags containing human remains have been discovered by Mexican authorities in the same area.
In 2021, there were 70 bags found in Jalisco containing remains of 11 people. Similarly, in 2019, 119 bags were found in Zapopan containing remains of 29 people. The Guadalajara area has witnessed the discovery of remains of 33 people within the first two months of this year.
Earlier in March, four Americans were kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel in Matamoros, Mexico. Unfortunately, two of them were killed, and their bodies were handed over to U.S. diplomatic authorities. The other two survivors were treated at a hospital back in the U.S.
A few weeks after the kidnapping, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador defended his country, arguing that Mexico is safer than the U.S.
“Mexico is safer than the United States. There is no issue with traveling safely through Mexico. That’s something the U.S. citizens also know, just like our fellow Mexicans that live in the U.S.,” the Mexican president said.
The cartel apologized and surrendered five of its members to the local authorities.
“The [Gulf Cartel] apologizes to the society of Matamoros, the relatives of Ms. Areli, and the affected American people and families,” the cartel wrote.
“The Gulf Cartel, Scorpion Group, strongly condemns the events of last Friday,” the letter reads. “For this reason, we decided to hand over those directly involved and responsible for the acts, who at all times acted under their own determination and indiscipline and against the rules in which the [Gulf Cartel] always operates.”
The world’s list of highest murder rates includes multiple cities in Mexico. The Jalisco region is especially affected by violence, mostly due to the presence of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The Mexican government considers this group to be one of the most dangerous organized crime factions in the nation.
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