Five bodies found on a road in northern Mexico

The bodies of five people were found on Friday on a road east of the city of Chihuahua, reported the Prosecutor’s Office of the state of the same name, in northern Mexico.

Agents from the public ministry and the local police removed the bodies and investigated the scene of the discovery to “establish the cause of death and how long the victims had been dead,” the institution reported in a statement.

The identity of the victims has not yet been determined by the authorities, although local press reports suggest that they could be five app-based taxi service drivers reported missing since May 30.

The discovery was reported by people who were traveling on the highway, which leads to the city of Aldama, authorities said.

Chihuahua, a vast state bordering the United States, is the scene of the operation of organized crime groups dedicated mainly to drug and migrant trafficking.

The spiral of violence that engulfs Mexico leaves more than 450,000 murders since, at the end of 2006, then-president Felipe Calderón (2006-2012) launched a new offensive strategy against drug trafficking cartels with the participation of the military.

Levels of violence in Mexico have been high in several states in recent days, including on June 2, when the North American nation was holding its general elections, authorities were forced to suspend all electoral activities in two municipalities from Chiapas (south), bordering Guatemala.