11 Bodies, Including Children, Found in Violence-Torn Mexican City

The remains of 11 individuals, including two children, were discovered inside a vehicle in the violence-stricken city of Chilpancingo in southern Mexico. The chilling find comes just weeks after the city’s mayor was beheaded shortly after assuming office.

Officials say the victims’ identities have yet to be determined, and the case is being treated as a homicide. Police responded to reports of an abandoned pick-up truck on a highway leading to Acapulco, a former celebrity hotspot that has since become notorious for drug trafficking and a high murder rate.

Guerrero, located on key smuggling routes along the Pacific coast, is one of Mexico’s most violent states, with 1,890 homicides recorded last year. Chilpancingo, a city of 280,000, has long been the site of brutal turf wars between rival drug gangs, the Ardillos and the Tlacos.

The region has seen a wave of violence, including the killings of at least six candidates ahead of Mexico’s June 2 elections.

Mexican Mayor Murdered Days After Taking Office