In a chilling discovery that underscores the ongoing crisis of violence and disappearances in Mexico, authorities in Zapopan, Jalisco, uncovered 169 plastic bags containing human remains on June 27, 2025. The clandestine grave was located in the Las Agujas neighborhood, near Tesistán, within the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area.
The site, a fenced-off lot near a private housing development, had been under investigation since February 2025. Construction workers initially stumbled upon a plastic bag with remains, prompting a full-scale forensic excavation. In only five months, 11 burial pits were uncovered, yielding the aforementioned 169 bags.
According to the Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences, the remains correspond to at least 35 individuals, of whom 15 have been identified—14 men and one woman. The search operation employed cadaver dogs, ground-penetrating radar, and excavation machinery to ensure thorough recovery efforts.
This site now ranks as the largest clandestine burial ground discovered in Jalisco in 2025, a state already notorious for such findings. Since 2018, over 200 clandestine graves have been processed in Jalisco, with nearly 2,000 bodies recovered.
The discovery has reignited public concern over the scale of organized crime and the challenges faced by authorities in addressing disappearances. While the investigation remains ongoing, the Zapopan case highlights the urgent need for systemic reforms and stronger protections for vulnerable communities.
As forensic teams continue their work, families of the missing wait anxiously for answers, hoping that among the recovered remains, they might finally find closure.
