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MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico’s security minister addressed recent findings of a property described as a “ranch of horror,” clarifying on Tuesday that there is no substantiation for it being labeled an “extermination camp.” Instead, he suggested that it functioned as a training ground for a drug cartel, with reports indicating that individuals resisting recruitment met tragic fates.
The alarming discovery, made earlier this month, included human remains, ash deposits, what appeared to be makeshift crematoriums, alongside numerous shoes and backpacks. This revelation has resonated deeply with a nation already grappling with nearly two decades of rampant cartel violence.
During a press conference, Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch made it clear, “It’s a completely different thing for killings or torture to be carried out on a property than for it to have been an extermination camp.” He elaborated by stating, “An extermination camp is a place where hundreds and thousands of people are systematically murdered, and I think we all understand that.”
Harfuch reiterated that there was no current evidence to classify the site as an extermination camp, asserting it was a training facility.
The site was uncovered by an activist group dedicated to searching for missing persons in Teuchitlan, located approximately 40 miles (64 km) from Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco. Initially, the group described the location as reminiscent of an “extermination camp.”
Discoveries of mass graves are not unfamiliar in Mexico, but the implications of systematic killings linked to this site have amplified public outrage and horror. The country is currently facing a crisis, with over 124,000 individuals reported missing, most of whom remain unaccounted for.
Authorities have conceded that the initial inquiry into the ranch was poorly handled; it was left unattended for months after its discovery last September. In response to the recent outrage, federal investigators have since taken control of the case.
In a related development, Mexican authorities announced the arrest of a suspect known by the alias “Commandante Lastra,” connected with recruitment efforts for the notorious Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
It has been revealed that many individuals were lured to the ranch through deceptive social media ads offering nonexistent job opportunities. However, once they arrived, those who resisted training or attempted to flee faced severe repercussions, including torture or execution, as outlined by Garcia.
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