Background on the Regions and Relevant Parties
Puebla and Tlaxcala are central Mexican states that have recently experienced an unprecedented event. These states, previously spared from such violent incidents, now face the grim reality of decapitated bodies abandoned on roads connecting them. The presence of criminal groups involved in drug trafficking and fuel theft has been acknowledged, although such extreme violence was previously absent in these areas.
The Gruesome Discovery
On Tuesday, Mexican authorities discovered six human heads along a road linking Puebla and Tlaxcala, as reported by local media outlets. The gruesome find was initially reported by motorists and later confirmed by the Tlaxcala prosecutor’s office, where the remains were located.
Additionally, another skull and more human remains were found in Colima (west), according to local police sources cited by media.
Victims and Alleged Motive
The Tlaxcala prosecutor’s office detailed that the heads belonged to six men. An undisclosed location reportedly contained a pamphlet attributing the beheadings to a gang dispute over fuel theft, as per local media reports.
Contextualizing the Violence
While this incident is new to Puebla and Tlaxcala, violent events like these have been commonplace in Mexico’s northern and Pacific coastal states for over a decade. These regions have been plagued by criminal organizations engaged in narcotics trafficking.
- June 30, 2023: Twenty bodies, including five decapitated, were found in Sinaloa (northwest).
- March 2022: Six heads and various human remains were abandoned on the main avenue in Chilapa, Guerrero (south).
Recent Related Incidents
The discoveries in Tlaxcala and Colima follow a report by a civil organization searching for missing persons. They uncovered what appeared to be a clandestine burial site with human remains in a Tlaquepaque cemetery (west).
According to Madres Buscadoras de Jalisco, the remains correspond to at least nine individuals bound with ropes and packaging tape. However, the Jalisco prosecutor’s office claims they have “elements to presume that these are legal burials.”
Jalisco’s Missing Persons Crisis
Jalisco faces the highest number of disappeared persons in Mexico, with nearly 16,000 cases out of approximately 130,000 registered since 2006. This period marks the Mexican government’s declaration of war on drug cartels. Consequently, Mexico has experienced around 480,000 homicides since then.
Key Questions and Answers
- What happened? Six human heads were discovered on a road connecting Puebla and Tlaxcala, with a pamphlet suggesting the beheadings resulted from a gang dispute over fuel theft.
- Where did this occur? The heads were found in Tlaxcala, while another skull and remains were located in Colima.
- Who is involved? Criminal groups engaged in drug trafficking and fuel theft are suspected, though these organizations have not been explicitly identified.
- Why is this significant? This incident represents a grim escalation in violence previously absent from Puebla and Tlaxcala, mirroring trends in Mexico’s northern and Pacific coastal regions.
