Mexican authorities found 19 shot and burned bodies on a dirt road near Camargo, Mexico, a town across the Rio Grande, Sky News reported.
Nineteen bodies have been found near a Mexican town on the US border which has seen a number of gang-related disputes in recent years https://t.co/7WW3HeSSg0
— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 25, 2021
Locals complained about a burning vehicle, according to the Tamaulipas state prosecutor’s office, which prompted officials to investigate, Sky News reported. The officials found two burning vehicles, and one vehicle contained 15 bodies and the other contained four – all shot but with no shells nearby, according to Sky News.
An anonymous Camargo official said the murders happened Friday, but fear prevented locals from reporting them, CBS News reported.
Camargo has experienced an increase in drug traffic and migrant smuggling recently, with gangs trying to make money off of items passing through, Sky News reported. The Gulf cartel has faced competition from the Northeast cartel trying to take control of the area, Sky News reported. (RELATED: Mass Grave Found Near Border, Thought To Be Linked To Cartel Rivalries: Report)
Rumors circled in Guatemala that Guatemalan migrants were among those killed, CBS News reported. Guatemala’s embassy in Mexico and consulate in Monterrey are communicating with state and federal authorities, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said, according to CBS News.
In January 2020, 21 burned bodies were found in various vehicles in the nearby town of Ciudad Mier, CBS News reported. In January 2019, several burned corpses were found in the nearby town of Miguel Aleman, CBS News reported.