Mexican authorities have arrested two former police officers in connection with a suspected cartel training ground where human remains, shoes, and clothing were discovered earlier this month.
The site, located at Izaguirre Ranch in Teuchitlán, Jalisco, has been described by Human Rights Watch as an “apparent mass killing site.” Families searching for missing persons first uncovered bodies on March 5, with the Guerreros Buscadores collective calling it an “extermination center” with “clandestine crematoriums.”
One of the ex-officers is accused of kidnapping a man who was taken to the ranch but later escaped after an armed confrontation. The second former officer was also arrested in connection with the case, and both belonged to a police force whose chief had already been detained.
Mexico’s Attorney General Alejandro Gertz assured the public that there would be no cover-up in the investigation, citing significant flaws in the initial probe, including a failure to fully search the site. The federal attorney general’s office is now taking over the case.