12/28/11 – The bodies of seven people were found in three different graves in between Montemorelos and Linares, two northern cities in the state of Nuevo León that border with neighboring state Tamaulipas. The information that led to the discovery of the clandestine graves was given to authorities by a gang of kidnappers who had been arrested. The suspects, who allegedly work for the Zeta cartel, were captured the week before the graves were discovered.
The seven bodies were found in a decomposing state – four of the bodies scattered among three graves and the other three bodies buried in a well. The victims, all males between the ages of 30 and 40, showed signs of torture and were thought to have been buried for nearly a month by the time authorities discovered them. Both military and police agents were called in for the unearthing and investigations that have followed.
The search for more bodies in the area continues as authorities are unsure if there are more than seven victims connected to this incident. As spokesperson for the Nuevo León Attorney General’s Office (Procuraduría General de la Justicia del Estado de Nuevo León) lamented, “At this point, they have found the remains of seven bodies, but the investigations continue as we can not rule out that there are not more. The problem is that this area is difficult to access and is uninhabited; it’s a place with no lighting.” The lack of artificial lighting has restricted authorities to working only during the day.
The recent finding of the Nuevo León graves is yet another in a growing line of discoveries. On December 14, ten bodies were found buried in Durango, bringing that state’s yearly total to almost 300 victims for such cases. Click here for more information on that story and on other mass discoveries throughout Mexico in 2011.
Sources:
“Hallan siete cuerpos en fosas de NL.” El Universal. December 27, 2011.
“Hallan siete cuerpos en narcofosas de Nuevo León.” El Diario. December 27, 2011.
“Encuentran ‘narcofosas’ en NL con límite Tamaulipas.” Milenio. December 27, 2011.
