The bodies of 10 more people have been found buried in a mass grave in Mexico just off the U.S.-Mexico border near Arizona, bringing the total number of human remains recently discovered to at least 58, officials said.
The grave was initially discovered with 42 bodies by a group of Mexican mothers from the group Madres Buscadoras de Sonora, or Searching Mothers of Sonora, near the beach resort town of Puerto Penasco, reported the Arizona Republic.
The Sonora Attorney General’s Office said the women were searching for remains of missing family members and discovered the grave in a desert area near a state highway east of the town, the paper reported.
The group, which consists of people with missing relatives, said they uncovered six additional bodies earlier this month at the town but were forced by armed men to abandon their search.
The 10 additional sets of human remains, which were reported to be full bodies, were excavated from five graves on Nov. 9, the Sonora Attorney General’s Office said. The excavations were carried out by experts from the Attorney General’s Scientific Forensic Intelligence Lab, and employees from the Mexican Association for Clinical Research, according to Arizona Central.
It is not clear how long the remains had been buried.
The state attorney general’s office said two bodies were in a state of decomposition, which means they were buried recently, Fox News reported. But most of the remains were skeletal.
Drug cartels are known to use mass graves to dispose of victims, including cartel rivals.
In total, 18 autopsies have been conducted on the recovered bodies so far, and one body has been returned to family members after identification.
Lupita Orduño, spokeswoman for the Sonora Attorney General’s Office, said previously that the victims’ cause of death must be determined before it is speculated why the remains were buried in a mass grave.
Phoenix resident Tracy Sallen told The Associated Press she believes the mass grave could be linked to drug cartel violence in the region.
“Maybe I’m being silly but those killings were probably the result of drugs,” she said.
Puerto Penasco, which is known as Rocky Point in Arizona, is about three hours away from Phoenix and about 20 miles south of the border. It’s located on the Gulf of California.
The area has been known for Sinaloa drug cartel activity. In 2013, a large-scale shootout ensued between the military and cartel forces.
The latest discovery comes as week after nine victims—three American mothers and six of their children —were killed when they were ambushed by drug cartel gunmen who opened fire as the family traveled along a dirt road between the states of Chihuahua and Sonora, both bordering the United States.
Individuals who believe a family member could be among the remains recently uncovered are asked to complete a DNA test at one of the Attorney General’s Departments of Expert Services, reported Arizona Central. Families must bring official identification and at least two direct family members with them.
