Authorities in Chilpancingo, the capital of Mexico’s Guerrero state, stumbled upon the remains of 11 people, which included nine adults, and two minors. The case is being treated as a homicide investigation.
The grim discovery was made on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, when an abandoned van was reported to local law enforcement by a concerned citizen. Initial reports suggest the victims were dismembered and their bodies placed in plastic bags, though this has yet to be officially confirmed by the prosecutors. One of the victims, 14-year-old Angel Barrera Millan, was last seen in a hostage video in October after he was kidnapped along with family members.
A similar incident occurred in the nearby tourist city of Acapulco where authorities recovered four more bodies from a car, each bearing signs of strangulation. The highway where these bodies were found is a major route connecting Mexico City to Acapulco.
The escalating violence in the region is largely attributed to a territorial dispute between two rival drug cartels, the Ardillos and the Tlacos, vying for control over drug trafficking and extortion operations in Chilpancingo. The feud intensified in 2023 when a brazen display of defiance by one of the gangs saw them hijack a government vehicle, block a highway, and hold police officers hostage to secure the release of arrested members.
The brutal murder of Chilpancingo’s mayor, Alejandro Arcos, who was found decapitated less than a week into his term last month, underscores the rising tide of violence in the area. In the run-up to Mexico’s June 2 elections, the state has also witnessed the murder of at least six political candidates.
Guerrero, positioned strategically on the Pacific coast, recorded 1,890 murders last year, making it a hotbed for organized crime. Several cartels including the Jalisco Cartel New Generation, Guerreros Unidos, and Familia Michoacana are vying for supremacy in the region.
Mexico’s newly sworn-in President, Claudia Sheinbaum, has deviated from her predecessor’s “hugs, not bullets” policy in dealing with cartel violence. She recently announced a security plan that emphasizes enhanced intelligence sharing among government agencies and strengthening of the National Guard. The plan also proposes social support initiatives for the youth as a means to dissuade them from organized crime.
Since Sheinbaum assumed office on October 1, Mexico has witnessed a national total of 2,638 murders. Since the government first deployed the army to combat drug trafficking in 2006, the country has been marred by over 450,000 murders and tens of thousands of disappearances.