- Bodies found in two abandoned vehicles in Veracruz with evidence of dismemberment and packaging in coolers, believed to be the work of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
- Suspected territorial dispute between CJNG and rival cartel faction Grupo Sombra for control of Veracruz’s northern region.
- Veracruz government vows to investigate and enhance security, as the state has a history of cartel violence and dismembered body discoveries.
Additional Coverage:
The bodies of an unknown number of individuals have been discovered in two abandoned vehicles on a bridge in the Mexican state of Veracruz. A banner found on one of the trucks was believed to be a warning from a powerful cartel. The bodies, which were found in the city of Tuxpan, appeared to have been dismembered and packed into Styrofoam coolers. The banner implicated the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and suggested that the victims might be Guatemalan. Prosecutors are conducting tests to determine the number of victims.
A photo of the banner mentioned that the victims should stop believing in the Grupo Sombra and stay in their hometowns. It is suspected that Grupo Sombra, a faction of the Gulf Cartel, is clashing with CJNG for control of Veracruz’s northern region. The Attorney General’s Office of Veracruz has promised to investigate and hold those responsible accountable. In the past, Mexican cartels, including CJNG, have recruited Guatemalans as gunmen, often ex-special forces soldiers called “Kaibiles.”
Veracruz’s state interior department believes that the killings were a result of a “settling of scores” between rival gangs. The government has vowed to pursue those responsible and reinforce security in the region. Veracruz has a history of violence tied to drug cartels, with numerous clandestine body dumping sites discovered in the state.
Discoveries of mutilated bodies with threatening messages have become more frequent in Mexico, as criminal organizations seek to intimidate their rivals. In recent years, severed body parts and messages from drug cartels have been found in various locations across the country.