14.03.2025 12:30
In Mexico, the dismembered bodies of nine students were found, called to the area by a gang leader. It was reported that José 'El Jocha' Lavariega, a former mayoral candidate and gang member, invited the students to the Oaxaca region and allowed them to commit minor crimes.
Nine students whose dismembered bodies were found near a highway in Mexico were called to the area by a gang leader who was later found dead himself.
According to a report by the Daily Mail, José "El Jocha" Lavariega, a former mayoral candidate and later a gang member, invited the students to the Oaxaca region and allowed them to commit petty crimes there. The report cited a source from the prosecutor's office investigating the murders.
While officials have not yet explained the reason for the students' killings, this source indicates that the murders may have been carried out by a local Oaxaca gang as retaliation for robberies committed in their territory.
The official stated: "There is another criminal organization that holds control in the coastal area of Oaxaca. Currently, the strongest gang's business model is selling drugs to tourists. Therefore, they have an agreement not to commit robberies, as robbery is a crime that affects ordinary citizens."
This information emerged after the remains of the nine individuals were found in the trunk of an abandoned vehicle and under a bloody tarp near the Puebla and Oaxaca border.
According to El Financiero, four women and five men, aged between 19 and 30, had been shot and tortured. Periodico Central reported that a bag containing eight pairs of human hands was also found at the scene.
The group from Tlaxcala had gone missing when they traveled to the Oaxaca coast for a holiday on February 27.
The murdered students were identified as Angie Lizeth Perez Garcia, Lesly Noya Trejo, Brenda Mariel Salas Moya, Jacqueline Ailet Meza Cazares, Noemi Yamileth Lopez Moratilla, Raul Emmanuel Gonzalez Lozano, Ruben Antonio, and Rolando Armando.
Gang leader Lavariega was found shot dead in his car in Oaxaca on Sunday. A note was found next to the body that read, "This is the punishment for being a thief."
It is still unknown whether Lavariega's death is officially connected to the murders of the nine students.