20 more bodies found in Durango, Mexico mass graves, total now 190

20 more bodies found in Durango, Mexico mass graves, total now 190

2011-05-10 19:57:33 GMT+7 (ICT)

MEXICO CITY (BNO NEWS) -- Mexican authorities on Tuesday informed that 20 more bodies were discovered in a mass grave located in the northern state of Durango, bringing the total to 190.

During the past month, Federal Police and Mexican Army have located dozens of bodies in mass graves in five different areas of the state, including four in the state's capital, Victoria de Durango.

The most recent discovery of 20 bodies were found at a residential area in the Valle del Guadiana neighborhood, in the municipality of Durango.

As local authorities continue excavating different areas of the state, which have been confirmed as mass grave sites, legislators and business leaders have harshly criticized the lack of preventive security measures on behalf of federal and state authorities.

State political leader Juan Carlos Gutierrez Fragoso, of the National Action Party (PAN), stressed that finding mass graves and bodies was not enough, as authorities must find those behind the killings to recover the state's social calm.

Gutierrez also underlined that as the government's continues to deploy more security forces to the area, fighting criminal organizations was not about quantity, rather efficiency.

Meanwhile, Workers' Party (PT) senator Alejandro Gonzalez Yañez stated that the fact that authorities are now finding mass graves only confirmed that they were aware of the violence that had been building up in the area but failed to do anything to prevent or fight the violent crimes.

It is believed that the victims were people who refused to enlist within the ranks of 'Los Zetas' drug cartel. On April 16, authorities arrested Martin Omar Estrada Luna, suspected regional leader of the Zetas cartel.

According to government figures, a total of 15,273 drug-related crimes occurred in Mexico in 2010, while more than 30,000 people have died in drug-related violence since Mexican President Felipe Calderon began his campaign to fight organized crime in December 2006.

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