Authorities discovered two clandestine burial sites in San José del Cabo on Thursday, July 3, during a coordinated search operation involving citizen collectives and federal security forces. The Baja California Sur Attorney General’s Office (PGJE) confirmed the find and dispatched forensic specialists to process the scene.
Technicians from the Dirección de Servicios Periciales, the state’s forensic services division, collected remains and skeletal fragments from the site. The PGJE said a final count of victims will not be available until laboratory analysis is complete.
Multi-Agency Search Operation
The search was carried out by the State Commission for the Search of Persons of Baja California Sur, working alongside the Specialized Prosecutor for Missing Persons. Citizen search collectives, made up largely of families of the disappeared, also participated in the operation.
The Mexican Navy (SEMAR) and the National Guard provided security at the site during the excavation. This type of multi-agency coordination has become standard for clandestine grave searches across Mexico, where security conditions often require military oversight.
Pattern of Discoveries in Los Cabos
The discovery adds to a grim pattern in the Los Cabos municipality. In July 2024, 13 bodies were found in 10 clandestine graves in Cabo San Lucas. In May 2024, 18 bodies were recovered from 14 graves in the state capital of La Paz. And in 2021, investigators found three homemade crematoriums in San José del Cabo containing the remains of 28 people, according to reporting by El País.
Mexico’s federal government counted 5,698 clandestine graves nationwide in a 2023 report published by the Ministry of the Interior, though search collectives say the true number is far higher. Baja California Sur, despite its image as a tourism destination, has been a persistent site for such discoveries.
Forensic Analysis Pending
The PGJE did not release the specific location of the burial sites within San José del Cabo or provide information on potential identities. Identification of remains found in clandestine graves in Mexico often takes months and depends on DNA matching against databases of missing persons.
Baja California Sur’s missing persons registry continues to grow. The state’s search commission has stepped up operations in recent years, frequently working with families who conduct their own searches using tips and anonymous reports.
This story was first reported by BCS Noticias.