Police have unearthed the dismembered remains of seven individuals on a major roadway in a shocking revelation following gang-related violence in the region. The bodies were discovered discarded on the Tlalpa-Olinalá highway in the Montaña area of Guerrero state, Mexico, near the Cualác crossroads. Additionally, abandoned alongside the bodies were black plastic containers, an aluminum pot, and various items suspected to have been used for transporting the remains.
Authorities located the remains and their containers after receiving information from locals regarding armed individuals leaving the bodies at the scene. Subsequent to the distressing find, security personnel and experts from the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Guerrero (FGE) swiftly responded, accompanied by the Ministerial Investigative Police and other specialists. This area of Mexico has been plagued by severe criminal activities, with over a dozen criminal groups suspected to be active in Guerrero.
Reports from the Tlachinollan Mountain Human Rights Center revealed that 16 distinct groups were identified in the region in 2023, as reported by various security firms. The state registered a homicide rate of 37.5 per 100,000 inhabitants the following year, attributing the soaring figure to cartel conflicts, extortion, and kidnappings. Guerrero has emerged as a battleground for cartels, vying for dominance over drug production hubs, particularly opium poppy cultivation.
The surge in crime, coupled with insufficient investments in security and social programs and political instability, has hindered authorities in addressing the escalating security challenges. Consequently, Guerrero has become one of the most violent states in Mexico, leaving residents in constant fear of being caught in the crossfire.
The Montaña region, where the remains were found, sits at the border of Oaxaca and Puebla, amidst a fierce gang turf war. The Los Tlacos, Los Ardillos, and Los Rojos gangs are reportedly contending for control over the territory abundant with marijuana and poppy crops. According to the Tlachinollan Mountain Human Rights Center, locals have reported being harassed and extorted by criminal factions along the highways leading to neighboring states, prompting an exodus of people fearful of victimization, particularly impacting farm laborer families.
The center’s report highlights the plight of farm laborer families, stating that they are left neglected by authorities at various levels, with limited economic prospects beyond corn farming and migration, while facing escalating violence and intimidation from criminal organizations.
