Jalisco, Mexico Killing Site Discovered

This week, prosecutors in western Mexico confirmed the grim discovery of hundreds of clothing items and bone fragments at a site previously identified as a cartel training ground. The findings were made by a group of individuals searching for missing relatives, shedding light on significant failures in the initial investigation.

The site, located in Jalisco state, is far from the first of its kind to be uncovered. Mexico’s official records list over 120,000 people as disappeared. Over the past 15 years, such discoveries have become more frequent as families of the missing take matters into their own hands, often stepping in where government efforts fall short.

The latest discovery was made by the Jalisco Search Warriors, a group that investigated a ranch in Teuchitlán, roughly 37 miles (60 kilometers) from Guadalajara. The site had been raided by National Guard troops in September of last year, resulting in 10 arrests, the rescue of two hostages, and the recovery of one body. Authorities had labeled the location a cartel training site, and the state prosecutor’s office initially deployed backhoes, search dogs, and ground-penetrating technology. However, the investigation mysteriously stalled soon after.

According to Indira Navarro, the leader of the search group, they were prompted to visit the ranch after receiving an anonymous tip. “This ranch was used as a training site, and, as horrifying as it sounds, for extermination,” Navarro explained.

This site is just one of many in a long and disturbing history of such locations across Mexico. Drug cartels have frequently used these remote areas to dispose of victims, leaving families to grapple with the anguish of uncertainty and the burden of searching for answers.