Eight more bodies found in northern Mexico's mass graves, 209 overall

Eight more bodies found in northern Mexico's mass graves, 209 overall

2011-05-13 02:31:21 GMT+7 (ICT)

DURANGO, MEXICO (BNO NEWS) -- Mexican authorities on Thursday announced that eight more bodies, one of them a women, were unearthed in a mass grave in Durango State, northern Mexico, bringing the total to 209.

According to El Universal newspaper, the bodies of seven men and one woman were discovered overnight in a mass grave in Valle de la Guadiana neighborhood in the state capital Durango city.

So far, authorities have unearthed 96 bodies in the capital only, and 209 overall across the state. In Durango City, the Federal Police and the Mexican Army have discovered five mass graves and concluded search efforts in two of them.

Also on Thursday, police discovered eight decapitated bodies in the city. At about 6:00 a.m. local time, six beheaded bodies were located outside a soda-manufacturer company. An hour later, two more victims were found in a nearby neighborhood.

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.

The joint search operation conducted by the Federal Police and the Mexican Army is a result of intelligence obtained after the capture of six members of a local organized-crime group.

The discovery came about two weeks after 183 bodies were unearthed from mass graves in San Fernando municipality, Tamaulipas State. It is believed that the victims were people who refused to enlist within the ranks of 'Los Zetas' drug cartel.

In early April, Mexico's Attorney General Marisela Morales announced the arrest of 74 people in relation to the mass graves discoveries. Among the detainees are 17 police officers from San Fernando who protected criminal activities from drug cartels.

According to government figures, a total of 15,273 drug-related crimes occurred in Mexico in 2010. More than 30,000 people have died in drug-related violence since Mexican President Felipe Calderon began the fight against o

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