MEXICO CITY (AP) — Authorities in one of Mexico’s largest cities discovered seven bodies Friday in abandoned cars stuck in traffic on a major highway, five of them decapitated and dead. One person was found completely dismembered, the statement said.
Prosecutors in the central state of Puebla said messages were left on all the bodies that purportedly outlined the reasons for the killings. Prosecutors said each suspect was accused of committing specific crimes, ranging from street drug dealing to cargo truck robbery to extortion.
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“Handwritten messages were found on each body, each detailing the reason for the murder,” said Puebla state chief prosecutor Gilberto Higuera.
Higuera did not discuss the possibility that the cause of death was linked to drug cartels. He said the stolen car was abandoned in a traffic jam on the highway.
Authorities in one of Mexico’s largest cities said they had found the bodies of seven people inside an abandoned car stuck in traffic on a major highway. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
Vigilante groups may leave such messages on bodies, but drug cartels seeking to intimidate rivals or punish what they say are violations of their rules are more likely to leave similar signs on the bodies of their victims. Much more.
Mr. Higuera was very careful in describing the evidence, which included “something related not only to conflicts[between gangs]but also to control over certain people, not only for control but for recruitment purposes. ‘ was suggested to be included.
He did not elaborate further. However, as some Mexican cartels attempt to establish their own territory, they kill rivals, petty thieves, and drug traffickers on sight, making local residents aware that such activities will not be tolerated under the new cartel. Leave a convincing message.
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This gruesome murder was shocking because it occurred in Puebla, a relatively wealthy and large city just east of Mexico City. Puebla is Mexico’s fifth largest city and has largely escaped the drug cartel violence that affected surrounding areas.
Leaving a body in the middle of a highway was also unusual. Police were immediately alerted as a car loaded with bodies was blocking traffic on the city’s main ring road.
