Mexican authorities are investigating the discovery of six severed human heads found on a road between the central states of Puebla and Tlaxcala on Tuesday morning, August 19, 2025. The grisly find was reported by motorists using the roadway that links the two states, which are typically considered among Mexico’s safest regions.
The Tlaxcala State Attorney General’s Office announced the discovery in a news release, confirming that all victims were male. According to local outlet La Jornada, someone called 911 at approximately 6:45 a.m. local time to report “what appeared to be a human head, on the side of the road.”
Police officers and experts from the Institute of Forensic Sciences responded to the scene near San Gabriel Popocatla, before a gas station. The heads were found in a grassy area alongside the roadway in an apparent state of decomposition, with the skin reportedly peeling off the remains. The victims’ identities, ages, and places of residence have not been disclosed by authorities.
Investigators discovered a banner at the scene containing a threatening message directed at rival gangs. The message was signed by a group calling itself “La Barredora,” which translates to “the sweeper” in English. This is the same name as a little-known criminal group operating in the western state of Guerrero, though it remains unclear if they were responsible for the attack or why.
According to police sources, the banner mentioned individuals accused of extortion and homicide in the region. The prosecutor’s office stated that “the location corresponds to the discovery, not the actual incident.”
Both Puebla and Tlaxcala are generally considered safer travel destinations compared to other Mexican states. The US State Department has designated them as Level 2 travel advisory locations, its second-lowest warning level. Tlaxcala accounts for just 0.5 percent of the 14,769 intentional homicides recorded in Mexico from January to July 2025, while Puebla accounts for 3.4 percent.
Despite their relative safety, both states face challenges with criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking, human trafficking, and fuel theft due to their geographic location. The region has particular issues with fuel smuggling, known as “huachicoleo,” which generates billions of dollars annually for criminal groups involved in the illegal activity.
The discovery represents an unusual occurrence of extreme violence in an area not typically associated with cartel brutality. Such extreme violence, including decapitation, is more commonly concentrated in northern states and along Mexico’s Pacific coast, where drug cartels operate extensively.
However, similar gruesome discoveries have occurred elsewhere in Mexico recently. In June 2025, authorities found 20 bodies along a road in northwest Sinaloa state, with five of them headless. In April 2024, seven bodies were discovered with five decapitated and another completely dismembered, each with a message attached, in a car left in traffic on a main expressway.
Additional incidents include the discovery of six severed heads on top of a Volkswagen abandoned on a busy boulevard in southern Mexico in April 2022, and six heads with other body parts found on a car roof on the main street of Chilapa in Guerrero state the month prior.
The investigation comes amid broader violence across Mexico, where approximately 480,000 people have died in drug-related violence since 2006, when the government deployed federal troops to combat powerful drug cartels. Another 130,000 people remain missing.
The timing coincides with increased pressure on criminal networks. Last week, Mexico sent 26 high-ranking cartel figures to the United States as part of ongoing cooperation with American authorities. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump directed the military to target drug cartels in Latin America, though it remains unclear if or when such action might occur.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has vowed to crack down on fentanyl trafficking and has responded to Trump’s military directive by stating there would be “no invasion of Mexico.” Meanwhile, federal authorities have not yet commented on the Tlaxcala discovery.
The Tlaxcala prosecutor’s office has opened a formal investigation into the killings, with officials indicating they will continue their work to clarify what happened and hold accountable those found responsible for the crimes.
