7 dismembered bodies found dumped on road in southern Mexico

Seven dismembered bodies were found dumped along a road in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero, according to local officials and media reports.

The bodies were found at about 4:40 p.m. Tuesday on the Tlalpa-Olinalá road near the municipality of Cualác, according to Infobae and a statement from Guerrero state prosecutors. The remains were left on the side of the road near the junction into the town.

Infobae reported that black plastic boxes, an aluminum pot and other objects were left at the scene. Residents who were passing through the area told authorities that armed men had allegedly dumped the bodies there.

Guerrero prosecutors said investigators and forensic experts responded to the scene to collect evidence. No information was immediately released about the identities of the dead.

The killings happened in Guerrero, one of Mexico’s most violent states and a key battleground in the country’s long-running drug war. Criminal groups have long fought for control of routes through the state’s mountains and Pacific coast, which are used for drug trafficking, extortion and other criminal activity.

Guerrero has seen years of clashes involving groups such as La Familia Michoacana and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, both of which the Trump administration has classified as terrorist organizations, as well as smaller local criminal groups.