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In a chilling discovery that has shaken Mexico, the Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco collective uncovered an extermination camp this week in the municipality of Teuchitlán, Jalisco.
The site, known as Rancho Izaguirre and allegedly operated by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), contained three clandestine ovens, charred human remains, and hundreds of personal belongings, including approximately 400 pairs of shoes, clothing, backpacks, and a farewell letter.
Authorities estimate that at least 200 people may have been victims in this gruesome setting, a stark reflection of the rampant violence plaguing the country.
The discovery took place on March 5, following an anonymous call alerting the collective to the presence of human remains at the ranch, located in the town of La Estanzuela.
Accompanied by members of the National Guard, the searchers found a warehouse filled with scattered personal belongings. After hours of searching, they uncovered underground ovens and a brick slab designed to make detecting the crimes more difficult. Among the most heartbreaking findings was a letter signed by Eduardo Lerma Nito, a 20-year-old who had been missing since February 2024 in Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco—giving faces and names to the victims of this tragedy.
Rancho Izaguirre was not unknown to authorities. In September 2024, the National Guard had already intervened at the site, arresting 10 people and rescuing two kidnapping victims after a confrontation. However, the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office admitted it had not fully inspected the nearly 10,000-square-meter property, overlooking the crematoriums and mass graves that have now come to light. This omission has sparked fierce criticism from search collectives and civil society, questioning the effectiveness and willingness of the Mexican government to confront organized crime.
“CJNG operates with alarming impunity, and this extermination camp is proof that the Morena government, led by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and now by Claudia Sheinbaum, has failed to protect its people,” said Virginia Ponce, coordinator of the Madres Buscadoras de Jalisco collective, in a recent interview. Ponce described the unbearable stench of death at the site and emphasized that authorities had the chance to act earlier but failed to do so.
This case is a grim reminder of the “hugs, not bullets” policy promoted by the Mexican government, which has been criticized for its apparent leniency toward drug cartels. “What happens in Jalisco doesn’t stay in Jalisco,” wrote a user on X, echoing the sentiment of many who see this discovery as part of a broader crisis.
The Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office has promised to continue investigations, but distrust prevails.
CJNG, one of Mexico’s most powerful and violent cartels, has expanded its influence through brutal tactics reminiscent of the worst days of Los Zetas, including forced recruitment and the systematic elimination of opponents or victims. The ranch also served as a training ground, with areas adapted with tires and logs, suggesting that many of those brought there were forced to serve the cartel before being executed.
This discovery brings to the forefront the urgent need for a strong response against organized crime in Mexico.
As the searching mothers of Jalisco continue their relentless fight, one question remains: How much longer will government inaction allow extermination camps like this to operate in the shadows?
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