11 people found slain in Oaxaca, Mexico
MEXICO CITY -- Eleven people were found slain Saturday in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, in a rural area riven by political and agrarian disputes, though the motive for the killings was not immediately clear.
The bodies were discovered in the morning in the municipality of Santiago Juxtlahuaca, on the western side of the state, about a six-hour drive southeast of Mexico City. Ten burned bodies were found in a Chevrolet Suburban, and the 11th was found a few yards away with a gunshot wound in the head.
The news service Milenio reported Saturday that prosecutors had not determined a motive and were considering the possibility of a dispute involving politics, land or organized crime.
The state of Oaxaca has not been overrun with drug violence like a number of other Mexican states, and the scenic capital, Oaxaca de Juarez, remains a popular tourist destination.
Milenio reported that the mayor-elect in the town of San Juan Mixtepec, which is near where the slayings occurred, was assassinated two months ago. The area has also seen violent conflicts over farmland that have left five farmers dead in the last three years.
Twitter: @RichardFausset
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