State authorities in Guanajuato discovered at least 20 bodies in four different locations in the municipality of Cortazar, including clandestine graves and an oven used for the disposal of human remains, located in the communities of Valencia de Fuentes and El Sauz, according to local sources and reports from the State Attorney General’s Office.
The breakdown of the findings indicates that eight bodies were located on one property; one on a second property; five in a mountainous area; and six more bodies at a fourth site. Authorities anticipate that the criminal operation in the area points to a systematic scheme of burial and possible incineration.
In terms of forensics, the Attorney General’s Office reported that 14 of the 20 victims have already been identified through genetic, dental, anthropological, and fingerprint tests, while work continues to determine the identity of the remaining six. The search efforts were spearheaded by search collectives working in coordination with law enforcement authorities.
The context of violence in the state is persistent. According to data from the state government, 4,339 missing persons reports were registered in 2025, a slight decrease compared to the 4,428 cases the previous year, according to figures from the State Search Commission.
