Authorities in the Mexican state of Michoacán discovered a clandestine grave on Saturday with at least 12 bodies, all with signs of torture and possible bullet wounds.
The State Attorney General's Office (FGE) first confirmed to the Efe agency that 11 bodies were located on Saturday morning, in a rural property in the town of Las Letras, between the municipalities of Puruándiro and José Sixto Verduzco.
Later, the prosecution confirmed the discovery of
a woman
's body in the clandestine grave, according to local media reports.
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The prosecution added that one of the bodies was
incomplete, 11
of the human remains were
men
while another corresponded to a woman.
None have been identified.
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The victims were found in an advanced state of decomposition and were already channeled to the forensic doctor to determine the cause of their death, the prosecution said.
Forensic experts continue to carry out excavations in the area due to the possibility that there are
more bodies,
so the work is expected to continue throughout the weekend.
Agents from the FGE, the National Guard, the Army and the state police deployed a strong operation in the area, including combat vehicles and a helicopter, in search of alleged groups of hitmen.
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The prosecution opened an investigation folder in which the responsibility of a possible drug gang
stands out as the main hypothesis .
After receiving a report about the discovery of bones in a sandbank on the road that connects the towns of Isaac Arriaga and Las Letras, personnel from said institution traveled to the site, the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
The Jalisco New Generation (CJNG), Santa Rosa de Lima, La Nueva Familia Michoacana and Los Caballeros Templarios cartels operate on the borders of Michoacán and the state of Guanajuato.
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The discovery of this clandestine grave reflects the intensified wave of violence in Michoacán, where various massacres have been recorded in recent months, as well as the murder of two mayors and two journalists.
On February 27, more than 10 people were shot at a funeral in the town of San José de Gracia and the brutal images had great international repercussion.
Likewise, on April 2, eight alleged assassins and a police officer died in two gunfights registered in the state.
In addition, on March 27, 20 people were killed in a clandestine rooster ring, where gunmen fired assault rifles at a crowd watching the fights.
With information from Efe and
El Sol de México
.