A Mexican court sentenced ten men to 141 years and three months in prison each for their involvement in the notorious Rancho Izaguirre case in Teuchitlán, Jalisco. The ranch, discovered in early 2025, was allegedly operated by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) as a recruitment and extermination site since 2021.
The convicted individuals were found guilty of aggravated disappearance, homicide, and illegal detention of three victims. Their arrest followed a dramatic raid by the National Guard in September 2024, prompted by reports of gunfire at the property. Upon entering, authorities encountered armed resistance, ultimately detaining the suspects, rescuing two kidnapped individuals, and discovering one deceased body.
The court also ordered each defendant to pay 1.3 million pesos (approximately USD 65,000) in restitution to the victims’ families. The sentencing marks one of the harshest penalties ever handed down in Jalisco for crimes linked to organized crime.
The case drew national attention after the Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco, a collective dedicated to locating missing persons, uncovered charred human remains, hundreds of clothing items, and personal belongings at the ranch. These findings suggested the site had been used for mass disappearances and possibly cremations, although officials initially denied the existence of cremation pits.
Five additional suspects—including three municipal police officers, a CJNG recruiter, and Teuchitlán’s mayor, José Murguía Santiago—remain under investigation. Allegations surfaced that local authorities ignored warnings from the Jalisco Human Rights Commission about cartel activity at the ranch for years.
The Rancho Izaguirre case has become a chilling symbol of Mexico’s struggle with cartel violence and impunity, underscoring the urgent need for institutional reform and justice for the country’s more than 130,000 missing persons.
Source: ADN 40
