At Least 56 Bodies Unearthed in Northern Mexico Graves near US Border

The remains, which included complete skeletons, partial remains, clothing, and bullet casings, were exhumed earlier this week in Chihuahua state, prosecutors said in a statement.

The operation, conducted with military support, lasted several days. Chihuahua is a known trafficking route for drugs and migrants heading to the US

Authorities provided no information about the identities of the victims.

The remains have been sent to a forensic lab to determine the cause and time of death, with hopes of identifying the victims, according to prosecutors.

The graves were discovered in an area called "El Willy," reportedly under the control of La Linea, an armed faction of the Juárez cartel, local media reported.

Mass graves are common in Mexico, especially in regions affected by cartel violence. The country’s national registry shows that over 345,000 people are reported missing.

Last month, authorities uncovered 12 bodies in clandestine graves in Chihuahua state, including another 12 in multiple graves near Ciudad Juárez, a city bordering El Paso, Texas.

Since 2006, when Mexico intensified its crackdown on drug cartels, more than 450,000 people have been killed nationwide.

One of the country’s largest mass graves was found in 2017 near Veracruz, where over 250 skulls were uncovered at a burial site linked to drug cartels.