SAN JOSE MIAHUATLÁN, MEXICO – In a chilling discovery along a desolate stretch of highway in southern Mexico, authorities have found the dismembered bodies of nine students who had been reported missing. The remains were accompanied by a bag filled with severed hands, marking a gruesome scene that has shocked the nation.
The bodies were discovered near the border of Puebla and Oaxaca, a region often troubled by violence. Investigators found four of the victims stuffed into the trunk of an abandoned vehicle, while the other five were located beneath a blood-soaked tarp nearby. The victims, comprising four women and five men aged between 19 and 30, bore signs of torture and had suffered gunshot wounds.
The young adults, students from the town of Tlaxcala, had embarked on a trip to Oaxaca for a beach holiday but vanished on February 27. Surveillance footage captured their vehicle on a highway near Atlixco three days before their remains were discovered, approximately 90 miles from the crime scene. The car, a dark gray Volkswagen, was found about 150 miles southeast of Mexico City.
Currently, no suspects have been identified, but investigations are ongoing. Prosecutors from Puebla, Tlaxcala, and Oaxaca are collaborating to identify the perpetrators of this heinous crime. The incident adds to Mexico’s grim tally of violence, with 2023 recording 30,000 murders, a significant number linked to cartel activities.
This tragic event has raised questions about the safety of the region and the motives behind the attack. As authorities delve deeper into the investigation, the pressing question remains: who targeted these students and for what reason?