Law enforcement officials discovered the remains of 11 people, including two minors, in an abandoned pickup truck along a highway in Chilpancingo, the capital city of Mexico’s Guerrero state. Officials confirmed the victims included nine men and two women, with the case being investigated as homicides.
The bodies were found on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, after a citizen reported an abandoned van to local authorities. Some reports indicate the victims were dismembered and placed in plastic bags, though prosecutors have not officially confirmed these details. Officials say that two of the victims were female and two were minors. One of the victims, 14-year-old Angel Barrera Millan, was last seen in a hostage video in October after he was kidnapped along with family members.
In a separate incident in the nearby resort city of Acapulco, law enforcement officials located four additional bodies in a car, all showing signs of strangulation. The highway where the 11 bodies were discovered serves as the main route connecting Mexico City to Acapulco.
The violence stems from an ongoing territorial conflict between the Ardillos and the Tlacos, two rival drug organizations fighting for control of drug trafficking and extortion operations in Chilpancingo. The conflict reached new levels of brazenness in 2023 when one of the gangs staged a large-scale demonstration, hijacked a government vehicle, blocked a highway, and took police hostage to demand the release of arrested suspects.
Last month’s killing of Chilpancingo’s mayor, Alejandro Arcos, who was found decapitated less than a week after taking office, highlighted the escalating violence in the region. The state has also seen at least six candidates for public office killed in the lead-up to Mexico’s June 2 elections.
Guerrero state recorded 1,890 murders last year, with its Pacific coast location making it a strategic hub for organized crime. Groups including the Jalisco Cartel New Generation, Guerreros Unidos, and Familia Michoacana vie for dominance in the region.
Mexico’s newly inaugurated president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has distanced herself from her predecessor’s “hugs, not bullets” approach to cartel violence. She recently unveiled a security plan focusing on improved intelligence-sharing among government organizations and strengthening the National Guard. The plan also includes social support programs for youth as alternatives to organized crime.
Since Sheinbaum took office on October 1, Mexico has recorded 2,638 homicides nationwide. The country has seen more than 450,000 murders and tens of thousands of disappearances since 2006, when the government first deployed the army to combat drug trafficking.
