Hundreds of Shoes, Personal Items and a List of Victims Found In Cartel Crematorium in Mexico

A private nonprofit that helps find missing persons last week alerted Mexican authorities of a ranch located in Teuchitlán, Jalisco, that seemingly served as a confinement, training and extermination center for the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). After almost a week of investigations, some of the findings that have been revealed suggest the ranch might have also been the gravesite of hundreds of people.

The discovery was made by members of Colectivo Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco, who found burnt human remains hidden underground in a remote rural location 36 miles west of Guadalajara. But according to Indira Navarro, leader of Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco, additional evidence found throughout the ranch suggests hundreds of people were killed there.

As Infobae Mexico reports, an estimated 400 pairs of shoes and other personal items were found by volunteers at the Teuchitlán ranch. Along with the human remains, members of the National Guard that visited the site also discovered a warehouse with dozens of clothing items, backpacks and suitcases. Further investigations led authorities to find three cremation furnaces used by the CJNG.

Among some of the most disturbing items found during the search was a letter written by one of the victims that read: "My love, if I do not return, I want you to remember how much I love you."

After the letter was shared by Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco, authorities were able to identify the author of the letter and confirmed that Nito, 22, had been missing for more than a year since disappearing in the San Juan de los Lagos region.

Along with the letter, volunteers also found a notebook that contained multiple lists of surnames. Members of Guerreros Buscadores Jalisco believe CJNG personnel gave each individual a surname so, in case of getting busted, authorities would not be able to identify them.

Elsewhere, a bible that contained three pictures of children was found by volunteers.

The Jalisco Prosecutor's Office has not shared a statement regarding the items found at the Teuchitlán ranch so far, although Guerreros Buscadores Jalisco said that the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Missing Persons has already started an investigation.

Although news of the center created a huge commotion across Mexico, it was not the first time authorities responded to a similar report in the region.

Just last month, federal law enforcement found another property in the rural town that was used by the Jalisco cartel for the same purposes. According to Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus, authorities rescued 36 people that were being held against their will and arrested two others at the property.

Dozens of people said they were taken to the ranch against their will and were recruited and trained by the cartel.