Prosecutors in Jalisco, Mexico, say they found 34 bodies in a mass grave

MEXICO CITY — Prosecutors in the western Mexican state of Jalisco said Friday that investigators have found at least 34 bodies in a mass grave discovered earlier this year.

Human remains packed into 169 bags were discovered during excavations at a construction site in the city of Zapopan in February. Construction teams alerted authorities, who launched a forensic investigation. After months of work at the site, forensic experts reported identifying at least 17 bodies and continue working to identify additional victims and analyze the scene.

The gruesome discovery has once again drawn attention to Jalisco, which in March became the center of controversy after collectives searching for missing people found human remains and hundreds of clothing items in a ranch once used by the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel for recruiting and training members.

To date, some 15 people have been arrested in connection with the case, including the mayor of Teuchitlán, who was detained last month.

The Rancho Izaguirre case sent chills down the spines of many Mexicans, who for years have endured soaring levels of cartel violence and the forced disappearance of more than 125,000 people. Families searching for their missing loved ones say that discoveries of such sites underscore the depth of violence and impunity in violence-torn regions like Jalisco.

The discovery of the mass grave in Zapopan prompted calls from victims’ families and human rights advocates for authorities to better investigate the scene and funnel more resources into the search for missing people.