A deployment of law enforcement agencies from all three levels of government was reported in the northern part of the state of Chiapas following the discovery of the bodies of eight people—six men and two women—at a strategic location connecting the municipalities of Jitotol, El Bosque, and Bochil.
The bodies, which also showed signs of torture, were found Wednesday morning on the Jitotol-La Cumbre federal highway, specifically in the area of curves popularly known as “El Herraje” or “La Herradura.” The site of the discovery is officially located within the territory of Jitotol, in one of the highest sections of the Escopetazo-Pichucalco federal highway.
The State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) launched an investigation and, in an official statement, described the multiple homicide as a reflection of the crime plaguing the region:
“Initial evidence suggests that the strongest line of investigation is a dispute over retail drug sales between local gangs operating in the northern part of the state.”
A narco-message was left at the scene that read: “This is what will happen to all distributors, manufacturers, and sellers of ‘Crystal Meth.'”
Residents of nearby communities indicated that the area has experienced a severe escalation of violence recently. Previously, riots and the burning of a public transport van were documented on this same stretch of highway following the confirmation of the death of criminal leader Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes in recent months.
The discovery has generated concern and outrage among the local population, because the abandonment of the eight bodies took place just four kilometers from the new facilities of the National Guard, an infrastructure that was recently inaugurated with the purpose of pacifying the road corridor and protecting the neighboring municipalities.
