Bodies of at least 11 people found in hidden graves in western Mexico

April 10, 2026 / 8:13 AM EDT / CBS/AFP Add CBS News on Google The skeletal remains of at least 11 people were found in hidden graves in western Mexico, local authorities said Thursday.The graves were found in a rural lot in Ixtlahuacan, a suburb of Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco, the local prosecutor's office said.Meanwhile, another 12 bags containing human remains were found at a construction site in nearby Tlajomulco, said Blanca Trujillo, the deputy prosecutor for missing persons, during a press conference.She said the total number of victims from both sites is still unknown, adding that in both cases, the remains appear to be from a long time ago, without specifying a timeframe.The discovery of the grave site adds to dozens of similar cases in Jalisco, the state hardest hit by the crisis of missing persons affecting Mexico and where one of the country's most violent and powerful drug cartels operates. According to official figures, Mexico has more than 130,000 missing persons, most of them in the last two decades amid drug-related violence.Jalisco has more than 15,900 cases of missing persons, a toll that experts attribute to the activities of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, official data shows. The cartel has been accused of using fake job advertisements to lure new members and of torturing and killing recruits who resist. One of the largest mass graves in Mexico was reported in 2017 when more than 250 skulls were found in what appeared to be a drug cartel mass burial ground on the outskirts of the city of Veracruz.Most recently, in October 2025, as many as 48 bags containing human remains were found in a vacant lot in Zapopan, a vast outlying municipality in the Guadalajara metropolitan area.Guadalajara, the state's capital city, is one of the three Mexican cities hosting 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup matches this summer. The Mexican federal government announced the deployment of nearly 100,000 troops to guarantee security in all three host cities, which also include Monterrey and Mexico City. Mexico is hosting the soccer tournament with the U.S. and Canada.In February, Mexican military forces killed Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and one of the United States' most-wanted drug lords, leading to an outbreak of violence. After the incident, FIFA reaffirmed its confidence as a host city.In March, Oseguera was buried in a golden casket with enormous flower wreaths and a large military presence. In: Drug Cartels Mexico Jalisco Details: Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel Explainer: Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel 02:06 Explainer: Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel (02:06)