32 bodies found at clandestine mass grave in central Mexico

Authorities in central Mexico have confirmed the discovery of human remains belonging to 32 people at a property near the city of Irapuato, according to officials.

The clandestine mass grave was discovered during an operation carried out between Wednesday and Saturday in the community of La Calera, in Mexico’s Guanajuato state, after neighbors reported a foul odor coming from the property, according to local media reports.

In a press release on Monday, the state’s prosecutor’s office said 15 of the 32 victims have been scientifically and legally identified so far. The identification efforts are being led by the state’s Forensic Services Unit, which is applying genetic, anthropological, and dental analysis of the remains.

The circumstances surrounding the deaths remain under investigation. The discovery comes a month after a mass shooting in Irapuato, where gunmen opened fire during a neighborhood celebration, killing at least 12 people and injuring 20 others.

Guanajuato has become one of Mexico’s most violent states in recent years, with frequent clashes between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the Trump administration, and the local Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel.

The conflict has resulted in hundreds of deaths and disappearances, along with frequent mass shootings and the discovery of multiple clandestine graves throughout the state.