In the Mexican state of Zacatecas, authorities announced today they have found the severed heads of four men. The heads were left in Styrofoam coolers, along with gang messages that appear to have been written by members of one drug cartel, directed at a rival cartel.
"Happy day of the Dead," read the narcomensaje. "Un cordial saludo del CDG (Cártel del Golfo) para los Talibanes. Sigan retando al 51. No supieron controlar su gente"."
From the Associated Press:
An official of the Zacatecas state prosecutor's office said the heads were found packed in ice on a roadside Monday, along with hand-written signs. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to be quoted by name.
The victims have not yet been identified and their bodies have not yet been found. But the official said the content of the messages suggested the victims were members of a drug gang.
"These are the kind of messages that drug cartels leave for other gangs … as part of their disputes," the official said.
Photos show the letters "CDG" written on the coolers, and the words "Welcome to Hell." This references Mexico's Gulf Cartel. The area in which the crime took place was previously dominated by the notorious Zetas cartel, which drew on the ranks of Guatemala's elite Kaibil soldiers after Guatemala's 36-year civil war ended.
In related news: Where's El Chapo hanging out these days? Prosecutors in Mexico say they've "carried out search warrants in three states and seized 11 small planes in the search for escaped drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman."
[Images and other reporting details via: Proceso, hoyestado, ntrzacatecas]
A map showing the location of the gruesome discovery.
