State prosecutors in Baja California Sur discovered three clandestine graves in Los Cabos on the afternoon of July 9, the latest in a series of grim finds across the state this year.
The PGJE (Procuraduría General de Justicia del Estado) said its Specialized Unit for Investigation and Search of Disappeared Persons located the burial sites during a targeted field operation. Forensic specialists secured the area under chain-of-custody protocols and collected evidence at the scene.
Human remains recovered from the three sites were transferred to the state medical examiner’s office for genetic analysis. Authorities said identification results will be released once laboratory work is complete. Families of missing persons in Baja California Sur are awaiting those results.
Pattern of Discoveries Across Baja California Sur
The July 9 find follows a troubling pattern in the state. Between April 26 and May 1, searchers located three separate clandestine graves in San José del Cabo containing at least four bodies. In March, an anonymous tip led to the discovery of five clandestine graves near the town of Comundú, where six sets of human remains were recovered.
According to the search collective Búsqueda x La Paz, 96 sets of remains have been found in clandestine graves in La Paz alone in recent months. The group’s leader, Gabriel Álvarez, has warned that more graves likely exist in remote areas of the state.
Disappearances Linked to False Job Offers
One alarming trend described by search collectives is the deception of young people through false job offers. Álvarez has said families from Sinaloa and Guerrero have reported that their children traveled to Los Cabos after being offered tourism-sector jobs, only to disappear.
The PGJE said investigations into the July 9 discovery are continuing. The sites were located through planned investigative operations, not by chance. No arrests have been announced in connection with the graves.
Clandestine burial sites have been a persistent problem in Los Cabos. In 2017, 14 bodies were found in a mass grave near San José del Cabo, and 18 total remains were recovered during several days of excavation in the municipality that same year.
This story was first reported by BCS Noticias.