(Image Credit: IMAGN) A woman records clothes and shoes found at the Izaguirre Ranch in the community of La Estanzuela, where the collective 'Guerreros Buscadores' located three human crematoriums while searching for their relatives in Teuchitlan, Jalisco state, Mexico on March 5, 2025. Mexico's Attorney General's Office and the federal government will investigate alleged clandestine crematoriums located in a rural area of the western Mexican state of Jalisco, local authorities said on March 12. (Photo by ULISES RUIZ / AFP) (Photo by ULISES RUIZ/AFP via Getty Images)
La Estanzuela, Mexico – A harrowing discovery of a mass grave and clandestine cremation ovens at an abandoned ranch in western Mexico has ignited national outrage.
The discovery, made by a group of volunteers searching for their missing relatives, revealed three underground cremation ovens, burned human remains, hundreds of bone fragments, and discarded personal items, including figurines of Santa Muerte, outside the rural village of La Estanzuela in Jalisco state.
Mexican authorities, alerted to the site, reported finding 96 shell casings and metal gripping rings. The site, quickly dubbed an “extermination camp” by search groups, has left authorities and volunteers grappling with the sheer scale of the potential loss of life.
The discovery has sent shockwaves across Mexico, a nation accustomed to the brutal violence of drug cartels and the frequent discovery of clandestine graves. Images of over 200 shoes, a blue summer dress, a pink backpack, notebooks, and other personal effects have served as a chilling testament to the potential number of victims.
Security analyst Eduardo Guerrero described the site as a “nightmarish reminder that Mexico is plagued with mass graves,” highlighting the scale of the potential tragedy.
The discovery comes at a critical time for President Claudia Sheinbaum, who faces mounting pressure from President Trump to crack down on organized crime. The incident has forced her to prioritize security issues and adopt a more aggressive approach to combating criminal organizations, particularly the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
The Jalisco cartel, known for its involvement in synthetic drug production and trafficking, is suspected of operating the ranch. The group’s expansion has coincided with a surge in homicides, forced disappearances, and the discovery of mass graves in Jalisco state.
Indira Navarro, leader of the Searching Warriors of Jalisco, revealed that individuals had contacted the group with testimonies about being recruited and trained at the site in weapons and torture techniques. The ranch, they said, was also used as a killing site.
Testimonies indicate that young people were recruited through false job offers on social media and transported to the ranch, where they were forced to participate in horrific acts, including burning victims. Recruits who refused were reportedly fed to wild animals.
The discovery has also raised questions about the local authorities’ handling of the site. Reports indicate that authorities had previously visited the ranch in September, finding weapons, shell casings, and bone fragments, and even rescuing kidnap victims. However, the mass grave and crematoriums were not discovered at that time.
State Attorney General Salvador González attributed the oversight to the vast size of the ranch, but President Sheinbaum has suggested possible negligence in the initial investigation.
“The attorney general is correct in stating it is not credible that a situation of this nature would not have been known to the authorities of that municipality and the state,” Sheinbaum said. “But the first thing we have to do is investigate.”
