Military finds 72 bodies in mass grave

More than 70 bodies have been found on a ranch in north-eastern Mexico, the Mexican military said on Wednesday. The bodies were found after a shootout between troops and suspected drug traffickers in San Fernando, Tamaulipas state. One marine and three gunmen were killed in the raid, before the body dumping ground was discovered.

Photo: www.sanfernando.gob.mx

The operation began when a wounded man turned up at a military checkpoint claiming he had been attacked by drug-cartel gunmen.

An operation was launched in which one suspect was arrested, 21 rifles were seized and more 6,000 rounds of ammunition were taken. However, those who were not killed managed to escape.

A mass grave containing 72 bodies, including 14 females, was discovered after the raid. It is thought to be the largest drug-cartel dumping ground found since the start of Mexican President Felipe Calderon’s offensive against drug trafficking began in 2006.

It is not clear whether those in the grave were killed at the same time. While the Mexican military did not provide details of the victims’ identities.

Earlier this year 55 bodies were uncovered in a mass grave in the southern state of Guerrero and 51 dead were discovered in the outskirts of Monterrey, the capital of Nuevo Leon state.