By Smartencyclopedia & Agencies
Mexican officials are investigating a gruesome scene after discovering 19 bodies in La Concordia, a town in the southern state of Chiapas. The bodies, all male and dressed in black tactical vests typically worn by members of Mexico’s powerful criminal gangs, were found after videos showing the bodies in a dumper truck surfaced on social media.
The majority of the bodies were piled inside the truck, with three more found on a nearby dirt track. All the victims had bullet wounds. Four of the bodies were identified to have Guatemalan identity papers, highlighting the international dimension of the crime cartels’ operations in the region.
Infiltration by Crime Cartels
The region, which is riddled with transit routes used by migrants on their way north to the United States, has seen increasing infiltration by crime cartels. These criminal groups extort money from migrants and use the routes to smuggle guns, ammunition, and drugs from neighboring Guatemala into Mexico.
The Unfolding Events
The Chiapas prosecutors’ office was alerted to a video uploaded to social media on June 28. The video, purportedly recorded by members of the Sinaloa cartel, showed the bodies in the truck. The men in the video claimed the victims were members of a rival gang operating along the Guatemala-Mexico border.
On the following day, locals in La Concordia reported the location of the bodies to the authorities. The prosecutor’s office identified the victims as probable members of a group they referred to as the “Chiapas and Guatemala cartel.”
Wave of Gang Violence
This discovery comes amid a surge of gang-related violence in La Concordia and surrounding areas. Last month, gunmen killed a woman running for mayor of La Concordia along with five others. Residents describe living in fear, hiding in their homes for days as gang battles rage in the streets. Hundreds have fled their homes to escape the violence.
Government Response
In response to the escalating violence, the Mexican government has deployed members of the National Guard and the army to the area. However, locals express skepticism, feeling abandoned as the cartels often return as soon as federal forces leave.
As investigations continue, the community of La Concordia remains on edge, grappling with the ever-present threat of gang violence and the struggle for control by rival criminal factions.