Mexican State Kicks Off 2026 with Four New Cartel Gravesites

Authorities in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato have confirmed the discovery of four new mass graves containing the remains of at least 20 victims. Law enforcement officials are conducting additional forensic investigations to locate more remains.

The discoveries began late last week in the cities of Celaya, Irapuato, and Villagran, Guanajuato, Mexico’s Proceso reported.

The first discovery occurred in Celaya, where neighbors called authorities about strong odors emanating from a field. Authorities went to the location and found the remains of one man.

A second discovery took place in Irapuato, where a group of activists that search for cartel gravesites called Brigada de Busqueda (Search Party) received an anonymous tip about a mass grave. The group went to the location and, after searching for several hours, found two separate gravesites with the remains of five men and one woman.

The most recent discovery took place this week in the city of Villagran, where authorities have not released a number, but speculations point to full bodies and some remains from at least a dozen victims.

In an interview with Proceso, the Guanajuato State Attorney General, Gerardo Vasquez Alatriste, stated that the issue of clandestine graves is not new but has long been a problem in the state. He said his office would be fully transparent about the investigation results. As Breitbart Texas reported, Guanajuato has become a hotspot for cartel violence as Cartel Santa Rosa de Lima and Cartel Jalisco New Generation fight for control of the region’s fuel theft operations and local drug trade. Both CJNG and CSRDL have been declared foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. government.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.