Authorities in Mexico’s Veracruz state have made a chilling discovery, revealing the dismembered remains of at least 13 people.
The remains were found in ice chests and freezers at two residences on Monday, August 14. These homes in Poza Rica are suspected of being used by kidnappers.
Veronica Hernandez, the lead prosecutor in the Gulf coast state, disclosed that the body count could rise as identification processes continue.
Six people have been apprehended in connection with the incident, but the motive behind the act remains unclear. Hernandez refrained from elaborating on the details of the operation. Local media outlets, however, reported that, in one of the buildings, authorities rescued several people who had been abducted.
Veracruz Governor Cuitlahuac Garcia attributed the situation to conflicts between rival criminal factions. Expressing concern over the escalating situation, Garcia is determined to quell the violence stemming from these disputes. He hinted at a sinister twist, suggesting that the feud might extend to the kidnapping and potential harm of rival gang members’ children. However, he stopped short of directly linking this to the dismembered bodies discovered.
In Mexico, kidnapping rings often dispose of their victims’ remains in shallow, unmarked graves. The staggering number of over 110,000 people registered as missing in the country underscores the severity of the issue.
