Authorities in the Mexican state of Jalisco have discovered at least 28 bodies inside more than 30 bags at a clandestine burial site in the city of Tonala, the State Prosecutor’s Office announced Thursday.

According to the Special Prosecutor for Disappeared Persons (FEPD), Blanca Jacqueline Trujillo, the actual number of bodies at the burial site may grow, as authorities have so far only explored 50% of the land where the grim discovery was made.

“The examination of the land and investigation continue to find those responsible for the clandestine burial. Of the 28, we already have pre-identified five bodies – people who had an open investigation file,” Trujillo told the La Jornada news outlet.

According to Trujillo, the burial site was found while authorities were looking for a specific person reported missing.

Last October, the National Commissioner for the Search of Missing Persons in Mexico, Karla Quintana, disclosed the recorded findings of clandestine burial sites from 2006 to September 2021.

As reported by Quintana, the search for clandestine graves, a recurring method for organized crime to dispose of bodies, has led to the discovery of 4,806 burial sites in the country and the recovery of 8,202 bodies.

According to the commission, under the current administration of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, 1,971 illegal graves have been discovered in the country.

Jalisco reported 262 illegal graveyards from 2006 to 2021, becoming the state with the largest rate of retrieved remains in the republic, with 1,388 bodies found.

In Mexico, burial sites are often referred to as “zones of exterminium” where criminals often linked to the region’s drug cartel dispose of their victims.​​​​​​​

Once found, authorities could take from 12 to 18 months to identify the remains, as there are not enough resources or staff to respond to the multiple burial sites found. (Anadolu Agency)