Michoacán’s escalating violence: 24 bodies found in clandestine grave

On Thursday, Mexican authorities said they found 24 bodies in the western state of Michoacán as drug-related violence escalates across the country .

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The victims, ranging between 20 and 40 years old and including five women, were discovered on a property under construction where excavations began last Friday, state prosecutor Adrián López told reporters.

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He said authorities uncovered the bodies after several people, arrested in a separate operation in Pátzcuaro , led them to the site used for “ clandestine burials .” He added that all bodies were dismembered and until now none of them has been identified .

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Michoacán

, the hub of Mexico’s thriving avocado industry , has emerged as one of its most violent states in recent years as rival criminal groups fight for control of lucrative drug-trafficking routes .

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