Mexican Mass Graves: 62 Bodies Found In Unmarked Pits Near Jalisco-Michoacan Border

Mexican mass graves on the border between Jalisco and Michoacan have revealed four more dead bodies, bringing the total found at the site to 62. According to Reforma, the investigation is ongoing: authorities fear there may be more bodies yet to be uncovered. However, as reported by Jalisco's Union Jalisco, the 22 missing agents of the Attorney General's Office (PGR) have not as yet been identified among the victims. The PGR has confirmed that at least two of the bodies were female.

The mass graves in western Mexico have likely resulted from ongoing conflicts between the Caretl Jalisco Nueva Generacion (New Generation Jalisco Cartel) and Knights Templar. According to CNN, "some of the victims showed signs of being bound, gagged and tortured." Michoacan has lately become a new hotspot for drug-related violence. Last month, 11 towns were left without power after a coordinated attack by gangs on power stations throughout the state.

The disappearance of the 22 PGR agents has been linked to police corruption in the state. According to Mexican Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam, municipal officers were held for questioning: "We detained them, and from that investigation, we found a place where the federal agents might have been buried."