During a press conference held on March 19, Alejandro Gertz Manero, Mexico's Attorney General informed reporters that authorities had found and confirmed the existence of human remains inside the Izaguirre Ranch, a property located in the municipality of Teuchitlán, Jalisco that was used by members of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) as a confinement, training and extermination center.
"As of right now, there are human remains, although they have not been technically defined," Gertz Manero said during the news conference.
Mexico's Attorney General criticized the investigations led by Jalisco's Attorney General Office saying that, six months after first securing the property, local authorities are yet to have a definitive report on the alleged human remains found nor on the physical and chemical evidence that suggests the existence of clandestine crematories inside the Izaguirre Ranch.
Last September, an anonymous caller notified authorities of a ranch located 36 miles west of Guadalajara that was allegedly used by the Jalisco cartel as a confinement, training and extermination center. When authorities first investigated the ranch, members of the National Guard arrested 10 individuals and rescued two people that had been kidnapped by the criminal organization.
But it wasn't until March 5 when members of the nonprofit group Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco that investigated the ranch found evidence of human remains spread throughout the property.
While talking to reporters, Gertz Manero confirmed that federal authorities continue investigating files that linked local law enforcement to covering up the atrocities that took place inside the property.
"So far, the links between cover-ups and involvement of local authorities with criminal groups operating in the region have not been precisely established despite the fact that several individuals who were kidnapped at that location have already testified about it," Gertz Manero said. The prosecutor added that in one of the cases, police officers from the nearby municipality of Tala, Jalisco, worked alongside drug cartels.
"Similar statements have been found in local case files, which were not included in the investigation of this case," Gertz Manero added.
According to the testimony of one of the Izaguirre Ranch survivors, alleged members of the CJNG used to train prisoners on how to use high-caliber firearms. Inside the property, a shooting range and an obstacle course were installed to train prisoners before sending them to conflict zones and fight for the Jalisco cartel.
"Those were used once they taught you how to use an AK-47 rifle," he said, adding that before moving on to real firearms they made prisoners practice with paintball guns.
"Once you moved on to real guns there was no excuse to say no. If they sent you to get toilet paper or asked you to torture your partner you had to do it. There were no second chances given," the man recounted.
In relation to this, Gertz Manero revealed that federal authorities have arrested individuals linked to the Jalisco cartel and evidence such as clothing and credentials suggest they were potentially trained at the Izaguirre Ranch before being transferred to other states across Mexico.
Gertz Manero finished addressing reporters by saying that the amount of evidence found at the Teuchitlán property is "abundant" and that there is not going to be a way "to evade responsibility.
"I believe there is such a large amount of evidence and information that the truth will come out. I have no doubt about it," he stated.
© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
