Forty-three bodies were found in a clandestine grave belonging to the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel, the largest such grave discovered between 2025 and 2026.
The Attorney General’s Office only acknowledges the discovery of 19 bodies and claims that 14 have already been returned to their families, although they maintain they are working to identify more.
“We reached a depth of over 100 meters. The bodies were compacted; some had severely broken bones, making reconstruction very difficult. But from what we were able to recover, there are remains of 43 people, and with that, the work concludes,” confirmed mothers searching for their missing loved ones.
High-level state sources confirmed the number of bodies to be 43, while the Attorney General’s Office stated that 14 have already been identified, but their report only mentions 19.
The bodies were found with stones bearing a triangle and a sledgehammer, both symbols of the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel.
On January 15, work began after mothers searching for their missing loved ones located evidence of people buried in a clandestine grave.
The grave was located on a rural road connecting the community of Franco Tavera with San Antonio de los Morales.
Criminologists and forensic specialists had to inspect metal pipes 31 centimeters in diameter where the bodies had been compacted, reaching a depth of more than one hundred meters.
During 30 days of work, they found evidence that 43 people were buried clandestinely. This is the grave with the most bodies found this year and last, confirmed the mothers searching for their missing loved ones.
In a statement, the Attorney General’s Office stated that they met with the mothers searching for their missing loved ones, who complained about the slow pace and lack of communication regarding the release of the bodies.
“In an exercise of accountability and direct attention, progress was presented at the various sites where remains were found in 2026, where families have actively participated in search efforts. At the request of the victims’ families, the situation at the Franco Tavera site in Juventino Rosas was addressed, specifying that the Attorney General’s Office is in the process of officially notifying the families of the 14 people located there,” the Attorney General’s Office reported.
The mothers searching for their missing loved ones, such as the “Light and Justice” collective, who work in the area of influence of the “El Marro” cartel, are demanding transparency and that the return of bodies to families be expedited.
SOurce: latinus.us
