An abandoned ranch in western Mexico, which families searching for missing relatives had labeled an “extermination camp” due to found personal items and burned remains, has been identified by the attorney general as a training site for a prominent cartel. On Tuesday, Mexico’s attorney general stated that while the ranch was linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel—one of the nation’s most dangerous criminal groups—there is no evidence confirming it was used for human cremations.
During a news briefing regarding the ongoing investigation, Attorney General Alejandro Gertz announced that the Izaguirre ranch, situated in Teuchitlán, near Guadalajara in Jalisco state, was definitively used for recruitment, training, and operations of the cartel. This conclusion was drawn from various testimonials and documents.
In a shift from earlier statements, Gertz noted that there is no solid evidence showing cremations happened at the ranch.
He mentioned that authorities found a container with tiny bone fragments during their initial discovery of the ranch in September. Research by a university in Mexico City analyzed the evidence and surrounding materials, revealing that no heat levels exceeded 200 degrees Celsius, which is significantly lower than the 800 degrees required for cremation.
Earlier this month, Gertz had already indicated that no crematories were located at the ranch. However, some human remains did show signs of cremation. In addition, Mexico’s security minister, Omar García Harfuch, stated that testimonies from a detained individual suggested that cartel members had executed those who resisted training or attempted to escape.
On Tuesday, Gertz noted that aside from one body discovered by authorities during a confrontation in September, no additional bodies or bones had been found.
He clarified that the ditches and holes previously thought to be cremation ovens were actually used for bonfires.
Héctor Flores, a leader of a search group in Jalisco, stated in a phone interview that many still believe the ranch was an extermination site, given what they had found last month. He accused officials of using complex language to alter the narrative.
“The government can label it however it wishes, but I believe that Mexican society is informed and aware enough about the Izaguirre situation to see through the federal government’s misinformation,” he stated.
Gertz admitted that officials still do not know how many individuals may have been recruited or have gone missing from the ranch. He mentioned that the forensic team is still analyzing the small bone fragments to identify them, which is proving challenging due to their size.
Throughout Tuesday’s announcements, Gertz repeatedly emphasized that the investigation remains active and that his office has only been involved since late March, following President Claudia Sheinbaum’s directive.
In March, a search group looking for missing relatives received a lead about a potential mass grave in western Mexico, stirring shock across a nation already traumatized by violence and concealed graves.
Since 1962, official records indicate over 120,000 people have disappeared in Mexico, with more than 15,000 cases tied to the state of Jalisco, many associated with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Last month, Gertz criticized the local authorities’ investigation, citing numerous irregularities. He pointed out that the site was not secured after its initial discovery in September, leaving it unguarded until the search group returned last month.
On Tuesday, he disclosed that a local human rights commission had notified regional authorities in 2021 about illegal activities at the ranch, which went unaddressed. Currently, among the 14 detained in this case are three police officers, including a police chief, alongside an individual identified as a cartel leader managing the training site.
“We will pursue those who were covering up or collaborating with the cartel’s activities at the ranch,” Gertz reiterated, which includes public officials. He also mentioned investigations into other potential “narco-ranches” in the vicinity.
Regarding the bags of clothing found at the ranch, which have not yet been analyzed, Gertz stated he couldn’t ascertain their ownership. However, he assured that federal investigators intend to collaborate with search groups to identify the items and potentially connect them to their rightful owners through forensic testing.
