THE charred bodies of seven people were found abandoned in a pick-up truck in a region of central Mexico plagued by cartel-related violence, authorities said yesterday.

The vehicle, found in Celaya in Guanajuato state on Tuesday night, had been reported stolen in the neighbouring state of Michoacan, Guanajuato executive secretary of security Sophia Huett said.

The dead have not been identified, according to state authorities.

Guanajuato and Michoacan are two of Mexico’s most violent states due to turf wars between rival gangs involved in drug trafficking and other illegal activity including trade in stolen fuel.

Mexico has been trapped in a spiral of cartel-related violence since 2006 when the government launched a controversial anti-drug operation with federal troops. 

There have been more than 340,000 murders since then, most of them blamed on fighting between criminals, according to official figures. – AFP, March 24, 2022.