Mass graves found in northern Mexico contain over 50 bodies

At least 56 bodies have been found in unmarked mass graves in northern Mexico, near the US border.

The remains included full bodies, complete skeletons, partial remains, as well as clothing and bullet casings, local prosecutors said in a statement, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The bodies were exhumed earlier this week in Chihuahua state, a region along a major drug and migrant trafficking route to the US, as part of a multi-day operation assisted by the military, according to the statement. Prosecutors have not provided details on the potential identities of the victims.

The remains have been sent to a forensic lab for analysis to determine the time and cause of death, with the aim of identifying the victims, prosecutors added. The bodies were exhumed from an area known as "El Willy," which is controlled by La Linea, a criminal group that is one of the armed factions of the Juárez cartel active along the border, according to local media. 

Mass graves are unfortunately common in Mexico, particularly in regions affected by cartel violence. The country's national registry reports over 345,000 missing persons. Last month, Mexican authorities uncovered 12 bodies buried in hidden graves in the northern Chihuahua state. Another 12 bodies were found in multiple graves around two hours from Ciudad Juarez, located across the border from El Paso, Texas. 

Since Mexico launched a major offensive against drug cartels in 2006, over 450,000 people have been murdered nationwide. One of the largest mass graves in the country was discovered in 2017, when more than 250 skulls were found in what appeared to be a cartel burial site on the outskirts of Veracruz. 

On December 26, 2024, 12 bodies were discovered in several graves in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. As of December 2024, the state had recorded 3,927 missing persons. "The number of missing persons in Mexico reached 100,000 in May 2022," the United Nations reported.

By Naila Huseynova