13 bodies found dumped near gas station in central Mexico

13 bodies found dumped near gas station in central Mexico

2012-01-10 03:08:00 GMT+7 (ICT)

MORELIA, MEXICO (BNO NEWS) -- The bodies of thirteen people, among them at least three children, were dumped near a gas station in central Mexico on early Monday morning, federal officials said.

The bodies were dropped off at around 5 a.m. local time near a gas station in an area known as 'La Mangana' on the Suprema Junta Nacional Americana boulevard which is within the city limits of Zitácuaro, a city in the Mexican state of Michoacán.

Federal officials said the victims, among them at least three children, were killed with gunshots to the head. Their bodies were dumped with a written message directed at 'El Guero,' which translates as 'The Blonde One' or 'Blondie.'

No other details about the message were immediately released, but 'El Guero' is considered to be the apparent leader of an organized crime group which operates in Huetamo, a municipality in the southeastern corner of Michoacán.

The identities of the victims were not immediately known.

Mexico has been struggling to cope with an influx of criminals as President Felipe Calderón continues his campaign against organized crime and drug cartels. According to estimates, at least 12,359 people died as a result of drug-related violence in 2011 alone.

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