45 bags containing human remains found in Mexico

Policemen in northern Mexico have found 45 bags containing human remains in a gorge on the outskirts of the city of Guadalajara.

The state prosecutor’s office in the western state of Jalisco said in a statement on Wednesday night that the bags found at a forest overlook contained remains of men and women and were found after firefighters and civil defence personnel worked with a helicopter.

Authorities said more efforts would be used in the coming days to recover the remains from the gorge and determine how many bodies are there in the coming days.

The bags were discovered during a search for seven young people who had been reported missing last week but it was still unknown if these people were among the remains found.

The state prosecutor’s office said it investigated the site after receiving a report of possible body parts there and the search was intensified after a black plastic bag with human remains was found on Tuesday. Because of the difficult terrain and the lack of sunlight, the investigation resumed Wednesday and will continue until all remains are located, the prosecutor’s office said.

Mexican Federal Government data have revealed that there are more than 110,000 missing people in Mexico with Jalisco being the state with the highest number – 15,000. Also, there are thousands of unidentified remains in morgues and cemeteries.

Jalisco, where the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel operates, is among the most heavily impacted by organized crime violence. Last year, 301 bodies were discovered in the state in 41 clandestine graves, and 544 bodies were found in 2020, the highest number to date.

Secret dumping grounds are often used by drug cartels to dispose of their victims.  The lack of help from officials has left many family members to take up search efforts for their missing loved ones themselves, often forming volunteer search teams known as “colectivos.”