MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican authorities reported on Monday the discovery of a property used as a clandestine grave site in a town near the Caribbean resort of Cancun, where the remains of at least 16 people have been found so far, though they have not yet been identified.
According to Quintana Roo Attorney General Raciel López Salazar, the site was located in the town of Leona Vicario, 26 miles (42 km) west of Cancun, and five points of “forensic interest” still need to be examined, which could raise the number of victims.
The skeletal remains were found in 10 different locations, covered with cement and quicklime.
Mexico has more than 133,000 registered missing persons, the vast majority of them disappearing in the last two decades. The discovery of these types of burials is common in other parts of the country, such as Jalisco, Michoacan, Tamaulipas and Veracruz, but not in Quintana Roo, a state known for its tourism.
However, the coastal region has always had a presence of organized crime since it is an important area for drug sales and has also been a major point of illegal entry for migrants.