Bodies of 12 people found in plastic bags in western Mexico

MEXICO CITY – Investigators in Mexico have found plastic bags containing the hacked-up bodies of 12 people near the western city of Guadalajara.

The Jalisco state prosecutor’s office said Wednesday that the dead included seven men and five women.

But it adds that the count could increase because experts have so far analyzed only 33 of the 52 plastic bags found at the property. It says all the body parts in the 33 bags came from 12 victims.

The area around Guadalajara has witnessed a rise in clandestine burial pits in recent years. Drug and kidnapping gangs frequently use such pits to dispose of rivals or victims.

In September, 41 bodies were identified from 119 bags full of body parts found in a well near Guadalajara.