Alarming findings in Jalisco: an overview in figures
In the first five months of 2025, Jalisco has recorded the discovery of 33 clandestine graves, with a total of 107 victims identified, according to official data from the Special Deputy Prosecutor’s Office for Missing Persons. This figure reflects a monthly average of 21.4 recovered bodies, which shows a worrying increase compared to previous years.
Historical comparison and context
Statistics reveal that, in all of 2024, 21 illegal burial sites were intervened with 121 victims, while in 2023 22 graves with 299 human remains were located. The year 2022 marked a peak with 41 graves and 301 bodies, which suggests fluctuations in criminal dynamics related to forced disappearances.
Currently, the average number of bodies per grave is 3.2, although this number could increase, since investigations in 11 of the sites discovered this year have not yet been concluded. Among the most notable cases is Rancho Izaguirre in Teuchitlán, initially detected in September 2024 but recently incorporated into official statistics. This place, allegedly used as a training center by criminal groups, has been the focus of attention after the dissemination of findings of skeletal remains by the Guerreros Buscadores collective.
Geographic distribution and emblematic cases
The municipality of Tlajomulco leads the list with 11 graves located, followed by Zapopan (5), Tlaquepaque (4) and Tonalá (3). Guadalajara, despite being the state capital, registers only 2 sites. In the interior of the state, the discovery of two graves in Lagos de Moreno stands out, as well as cases in Ameca and Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos.
The site with the highest number of victims in 2025 is the one located on the Camino a las Agujas (Zapopan), where 35 bodies were recovered. It is followed by the grave of San Bernardo in Lagos de Moreno, with 15 remains exhumed and declared as “work completed” by the authorities.
Forensic implications and challenges
The proliferation of clandestine graves poses significant challenges in terms of forensic identification and judicial prosecution. The lack of specialized resources and the saturation of medical-legal services complicate the delivery of results to families of missing persons. Furthermore, collusion between criminal groups and local actors in rural areas makes access to land where there could be more burial sites difficult.
Security experts emphasize that these findings are only a fraction of the real problem, given that many cases are not reported or investigated. Historical impunity in crimes of disappearance—with clarification rates of less than 10%—aggravates the human rights crisis in the region.
What’s next? The figures demand an urgent review of search strategies and public policies. Share this analysis to make the magnitude of the problem visible and explore our special on disappearances in Mexico to understand the national context.
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