Volunteer Group in Jalisco Uncovers Clandestine Grave With More Than 30 Possible Victims

Although the case had been considered closed for months, the persistence of a search group led to the discovery of a clandestine grave in Jalisco used to dispose of and conceal the remains of more than 30 victims, though the actual number could be much higher.

In February, a construction company preparing to build a residential development near the city of Zapopan, Jalisco, reported signs that the 20-hectare property may have been used by a criminal organization as a burial site. After several weeks of investigation, the Jalisco Attorney General's Office declared the case closed after recovering 169 bags containing human remains.

However, last week, a civilian group dedicated to locating missing persons uncovered another grave on the same property, raising the number of victims to at least 37.

The group Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco, which also uncovered the clandestine graves at the infamous Izaguirre Ranch, visited the Zapopan property in late June and began a new investigation. There, they found 54 additional bags, bringing the total to 223. According to authorities, the remains are believed to belong to 37 individuals who were killed and whose bodies were stored in the bags.

Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco said the National Search Commission (CNB) is assisting in the search and has used drones to scan the area for soil disturbances across the property.

According to local media reports, the drones have scanned 7.4 hectares so far and identified 20 points of interest.

"As the search progresses, more is being uncovered. This is shaping up to be a very large clandestine cemetery," said Jaime Aguilar, a volunteer with Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco.

El País noted that a significant number of clandestine graves have been discovered in Jalisco in recent years. Some, like the one found in Los Sabinos, contained more than 130 bodies. Indira Navarro, leader of Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco, said the site in Las Agujas, Zapopan, is on track to become one of the graves with the highest number of bodies found in the state.

In its latest update, the search group reported in a Facebook post that as of July 11, they had found 78 additional bags, bringing the overall count to 247. Unlike in previous cases, the bags recovered by volunteers were "completely sealed," making it difficult to determine the condition of the remains inside.

Last week, Jalisco's Strategic Public Security Coordinator, Roberto Alarcón, said authorities will wait until the investigation is complete before releasing further updates on the number of bags found and victims identified.

"We've agreed this information will be shared only once the entire property and its surroundings have been fully inspected," Alarcón said. "We won't provide daily updates on the number of bags or identifications. That's the approach we will take regarding the Las Agujas site."

Alarcón also said authorities do not yet know how much longer excavation and recovery work will take.

"We don't have a definitive timeline yet," he said. "We'll continue working until the search is complete, but we still don't know how much longer it will take."