THE mutilated bodies of seven men were found yesterday abandoned in Mexico’s northeastern city of Monterrey – apparent victims of a drug cartel dispute, authorities said.

The remains, some in plastic bags or cooler boxes, were discovered in various locations around the city, home to major international corporations as well as rival criminal gangs, the public prosecutor’s office said.

Initial investigations indicate the murders are linked to “a struggle within a criminal group,” Gerardo Palacios, security secretary of the northeastern state of Nuevo Leon, told the press.

Authorities suspect the murders are related as the bodies were found with messages vowing revenge against rival criminals.

Monterrey is an industrial powerhouse that hopes to benefit from a new wave of foreign investment, including from electric car giant Tesla, which plans to build a giant new factory outside the city.

Mexico has recorded more than 420,000 murders – most of them blamed on organised crime – since the launch of a controversial military operation to combat drug trafficking in 2006. – AFP, September 27, 2023.