Mexican authorities have found 17 bodies in the last 72 hours during an operation targeting clandestine graves linked to drug cartels in Chiapas. The operation began over the weekend and is ongoing as of Monday afternoon, per the state's Attorney General's Office.
The initial discovery of 15 bodies was announced Saturday. The bodies were found in the municipality of La Concordia, an area in central Chiapas contested between the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) due to its key trafficking routes.
Two additional male bodies were recovered on Sunday in the municipality of Palenque, increasing the total number of bodies to the aforementioned figure. Palenque is located in northern Chiapas and borders the state of Tabasco. Similarly to La Concordia, the area is highly contested due to key trafficking routes.
The forensic analysis of the bodies is still pending, Chiapas Attorney General Jorge Luis Llaven Abarca told the media. Authorities also revealed the arrest of four suspects, who attacked law enforcement with firearms during the operation.
These findings are not an anomaly. On December 15, in the municipality of Emiliano Zapata, authorities uncovered a possible burial site where seven bodies, including a 12-year-old child, may have been incinerated and buried. The individuals were reported missing in November, and genetic testing results are still pending.
In recent years, drug cartels vying for control over routes that connect Mexico with Central America have contributed to an uptick in violent crime in Chiapas–Mexico's poorest state, which was not long ago, perceived as a safe tourist destination due to its diverse indigenous cultures, Mayan archaeological sites, and eco-tourism opportunities.
Thousands of Chiapas residents, particularly the ones who reside along the state's border with Guatemala, have been displaced due to drug cartel violence. Federal and state authorities have claimed they are working to fight organized crime and bring displaced citizens back home.
So far in 2024, the state's Attorney General's Office has received 124 reports of forced disappearances, per Llaven Abarca. In a press conference, the attorney general acknowledged that the number might be higher due to the fear that keeps many families from reporting disappearances. Llaven Abarca also pointed to the multi-agency effort to close cartel-controlled roadblocks across the state.
The recent discoveries of clandestine graves in Chiapas highlight a national crisis, with over 120,000 people reported missing in Mexico, according to data from the National Registry of Missing and Unlocated Persons.
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