Mexican security officials have found the bodies of 19 men piled in the back of a truck. This was announced by the prosecutor's office, which is believed to be linked to a shootout between a Guatemalan criminal gang and Mexico's powerful Sinaloa cartel, "Reuters" reported, quoted by News.bg.
The bodies were found near the town of La Concordia, in the southern state of Chiapas, north of Mexico's southern border with Guatemala.
According to a statement from the local prosecutor's office, five of the men had gunshot wounds and were all wearing dark clothing, tactical vests and firearm clips.
A source in the security services in Chiapas told Reuters that the victims were Guatemalan members of a criminal group fighting for territorial control in the area.
"This is a criminal group that wants to infiltrate the area. "They are Guatemalans and this is where they are facing several (criminal) cells, in this case from Sinaloa," he said.
The Guatemalan Foreign Ministry told media that the consulate in Chiapas is in the process of identifying some of the victims, as it is believed that several of those found are Guatemalans. He also explained that he is in contact with the Chiapas prosecutor's office and is working to determine the nationality of all victims.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador described the incident as an "unfortunate confrontation".
In recent years, Chiapas has seen an increase in gang violence, which is believed to be linked tocriminal racketeering, as well as drug and human trafficking.
"As a result of the increase in migrant trafficking in the region, the Sinaloa cartel, which previously controlled drug trafficking there, has become very strong," the source from the Chiapas security services also said.