Family members of missing Mexicans have discovered a new mass grave with dozens of human remains, just weeks after another such location was identified in a country plagued by armed violence.
The Financial Times reported that the camp in question is located in the state of Colima. There, authorities found the remains of 42 people, some of them still burning. Overall, the area spanned more than 40 hectares.
Relatives of missing people complained that authorities had in fact discovered the site about a year and a half ago but repeatedly refused to give the group information on their findings. The situation changed when the other camp was found weeks ago in the state of Jalisco.
Both sites were allegedly ran by the Jalisco Cartel (CJNG), with a Mexican official telling the FT that the Colima facility "is infested with guys from the Jalisco Cartel in armored cars." "They would bring people up to torture them and bury them," the official told the outlet. Only three bodies have been identified.
The Jalisco compound, known as Rancho Izaguirre, dominated headlines for weeks due to the brutality of the accounts from those who managed to escape. Moreover, José Ascensión Murguía Santiago, former mayor of Teuchitlán, Jalisco, was arrested after being accused of working directly with cartel leaders in operations involving kidnappings and the disposal of human remains at the ranch.
According to investigators, Murguía was among several public officials allegedly targeted by the Jalisco Cartel to expand its influence across the region. The Mexican Attorney General's Office is charging the former mayor with organized crime, citing testimonies that claimed he was not only aware of cartel activity in the area but also met regularly with key CJNG figures, including José Gregorio "El Comandante" Lastra and Gonzalo Mendoza Gaitán, also known as "El Sapo."
According to Infobae México, one witness who testified against Murguía revealed that the former official supplied patrol vehicles, firearms and municipal police officers to support the criminal organization. In exchange he allegedly received monthly payments of approximately $3,500, delivered in cash at remote locations.
The Jalisco prosecutor's office has faced mounting criticism over its handling of the Izaguirre Ranch, which first gained public attention in September 2024 — under Alfaro's administration — after an anonymous tip alerted authorities to suspected cartel activity at the Teuchitlán property.
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