Nine mutilated bodies were discovered inside an abandoned vehicle on a highway between Puebla and Oaxaca, Mexico, in what authorities suspect to be a cartel-related massacre.
The victims, who had been missing since late February, were found on March 2 in a dark grey Volkswagen Vento with Tlaxcala license plates.
Alongside the bodies, a bag filled with severed hands was left inside the vehicle.
Police reported that five bodies were stacked beneath a blood-soaked tarp, while the remaining four were crammed into the trunk. All had been shot, tortured, and dismembered.
Initial reports suggested the victims were students from Tlaxcala who had traveled to Oaxaca’s beaches for a holiday, but Mexican media outlet NVI Noticias later claimed they were members of the criminal group Los Zacapoaxtlas.
Identifying the Victims
Authorities have identified eight of the nine victims:
- Angie Lizeth, 29
- Brenda Mariel, 19
- Jacqueline Ailet, 23
- Noemi Yamileth, 28
- Lesly Noya Trejo, 21
- Raul Emmanuel, 28
- Ruben Antonio
- Rolando Armando
Surveillance footage from February 24 captured the victims’ vehicle traveling along the Atlixcayotl highway near Atlixco, approximately 90 miles from where their remains were found. Investigators are tracing their final movements, but no suspects have been named.
Ongoing Investigation and Rising Violence
Authorities have been tight-lipped about the case, citing ongoing investigations.
“So far, I cannot offer information. There are lines of investigation, but I cannot reveal them due to confidentiality,”
said Idamis Pastor Betancourt, head of the Puebla State Attorney General’s Office.
“All relevant investigations are being carried out. When we have a response and the investigation is complete, we will be in a position to provide more information.”
There were over 30,000 murders recorded in Mexico in 2023, many linked to organized crime.
Criminal groups frequently use extreme brutality to send messages to rivals and law enforcement.
