At Least 16 Bodies Found In Northern Mexico

At least 16 bodies found in northern Mexico < br />

2012-09-17 06:59:49 GMT+7 (ICT)

NUEVO LAREDO, MEXICO (BNO NEWS) -- At least sixteen bodies were found, including one hanging from a bridge, in northern Mexico, local authorities said Friday.

At around 8 a.m. local time, authorities received a phone call after nine bodies were found on a bridge in the city of Nuevo Laredo in the state of Tamaulipas, which borders Laredo, Texas. One of the bodies was left hanging from the bridge and the others were left on the asphalt.

The Attorney General's Office of Tamaulipas confirmed the finding, detailing that all of the bodies had gunshot wounds to the head. In addition, one of the bodies belonged to a teenager, and the others were aged between 25 and 50.

Less than an hour later, another seven bodies were found on the kilometer 18 marker on the San Fernando-La Carbonera highway, located in Tamaulipas' municipality of San Fernando. Authorities said the victims were aged between 50 and 65 years old and had gunshot wounds. Most of them were also found with their hands tied behind their backs.

No further details were immediately available, but similar incidents are usually linked to organized crime, as Mexico continues to face drug-related violence.

On Wednesday, the Mexican Marines captured Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sanchez, who is also known as 'el Coss', in the coastal city of Tampico, also located in Tamaulipas. He is believed to be the leader of the Gulf drug cartel, which controls some of the most violently contested smuggling routes along the U.S. border in northern Mexico. He was arrested without incident along with several other drug cartel members.

Costilla Sanzhez's arrest comes just over a week after Marines arrested Mario Cardenas Guillen, who is also known as 'M-1' and 'el Gordo' (the fat one), during an operation in Altamira, a city in the northern state of Tamaulipas. Guillen is believed to have been one of the most senior leaders of the Gulf drug cartel.

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