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In this undated photo provided by the prosecutor's office in Veracruz, workers are seen on the site of illegal landfills in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. Veracruz prosecutor Jorge Winckler said the bodies were buried at least two years ago and did not rule out finding more remains. He said the investigators found 114 identity cards on the ground, which contained about 32 funeral pits.(Photo: Prosecutor's Office of Veracruz via AP)
A secret burial site containing at least 166 skulls has been discovered, Mexican officials said Thursday. The site is one of the largest mass graves discovered to date in the country.
The bodies – found in the state of the coast of the Gulf of Veracruz – had been buried for at least two years, according to a translation release of the prosecutor's office of the State of Veracruz.
The region has been the scene of bloody conflicts between drug cartels and the region has suffered from waves of extortion and kidnapping.
Officials found clothing, personal items and other skeletal remains on the site, but skulls were used for counting. Investigators discovered about 32 funeral pits on the site.
Attorney Jorge Winckler said that the location of the graves would not be disclosed for security reasons.
Relatives of missing persons will have access to a photographic record of clothing, identity papers and accessories found in the graves, according to a statement.
Hundreds of bodies were found in funeral pits in Veracruz before – 253 skulls were discovered in 2016 and 2017.
August 10th: An 80-year-old woman was forced to smuggle heroin worth $ 870,000.
July 26th: Colombian drug cartel strikes $ 70,000 on dog
According to a report published in July by the Congress Congress, about 29,000 murders were recorded in Mexico, a record. This is happening as Mexican drug cartels, previously stable, have exploded violently.
Victims often include cartel members and people who resist cartel recruitment, reports the BBC. Relatives of missing persons have criticized the Mexican government, saying more could be done to help locate their relatives, according to the publication.
According to the report of the Congress Research Center, more than 5,000 people have disappeared between 2010 and 2016 in the state of Veracruz alone.
Contribution: Associated Press.
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