Clandestine graves in western Mexico where 31 bodies have been found

Thirty-one bodies buried in two clandestine graves have been exhumed by authorities in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, in the Mexican state of Jalisco, a region hit by violence linked to organised crime.

According to official figures, Mexico has recorded more than 340,000 homicides, mostly attributed to criminal organisations, since the launch of a controversial military anti-drug offensive in December 2006.

Thirty-one bodies have been exhumed by authorities from two clandestine graves in western Mexico, officials said. The first grave was found on February 1 in the town of San Isidro Mazatepec in Jalisco state, a region hit by violence linked to organised crime. A second grave was found after several days of investigation and the extraction of bags containing bodies.

Jalisco, which is controlled by the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, is among the Mexican states most heavily impacted by organised crime violence.

Last year, 301 bodies were discovered in the state in 41 clandestine graves, and 544 bodies were found in 2020, the highest number to date.

Mexico's homicide rate has tripled since 2006 — when an intensification of the government's war on drug cartels triggered a spiral of violence — from 9.6 murders per 100,000 inhabitants to 28 in 2021.

Civilians are often caught up in the killing. As of late last year, more than 100,000 people were officially missing across the country.