A missing persons search party has found at least 22 bodies in several secret graves in Reynosa (Northeast), Mexico, authorities said on Monday.
• Also read: “Innocent Victim”: A kidnapped American woman is finally reunited with her loved ones after eight months
• Also read: The Mexican worker who died in a car accident dreamed of a better life for his daughters
“They found several graves, 12 in all, with 22 bodies,” said Jorge Cuéllar, security spokesman for Tamaulipas state, where Reynosa is located.
The discovery was made and reported by the Love for the Disappeared collective of Tamaulipas, a border region of the United States hit by organized crime-related violence.
Mr Cuéllar added that the local prosecutor’s office is responsible for the investigation and that the final number of bodies will be communicated afterwards.
The bulk of the bones found remained underground for 10 to 14 months, he said.
Out of desperation and the lack of investigation results, the families of the disappeared sometimes go in search of their relatives, mostly in inhospitable areas.
The state of Tamaulipas is the scene of constant clashes between criminal organizations fighting for drug routes.
In March, four Americans believed to be drug dealers were abducted in Matamoros.
With around 13,000 people missing, this state is the second largest in all of Mexico, after Jalisco with 14,987 missing persons.
The country has reported 110,000 missing since 1962, a chronic problem described by the United Nations as a “human tragedy”.
In addition, 350,000 murders have been recorded in Mexico since the start of the military war on drugs in December 2006, most of which are attributed to criminal groups.