Three bodies in advanced decomposition and three skeletons were found in a clandestine grave in Ciudad Juárez, less than a kilometer from the U.S. border, local authorities announced on Thursday. The discovery brings to eleven the number of remains found in the last three weeks, according to officials in northern Chihuahua. The district attorney for the Zona Norte region, Carlos Manuel Salas, described the ongoing investigation and the use of scientific techniques to locate victims as part of a broader effort to resolve these cases.
The six remains were unearthed in the southeast part of Ciudad Juárez, on a private property near an area known as El Sauzal, which borders the city and the neighboring U.S. town of El Paso. Authorities noted that this location is adjacent to the frontier and has drawn significant attention as investigators work through a series of anonymous tips and public notices to identify missing persons.
Salas explained that the six bodies were located thanks to the investigation prompted by a peculiar anonymous message. On Tuesday, February 13, a white banner hanging from a pedestrian bridge over the Gustavo Díaz Ordaz viaduct, near Artículo 27 Street in the city’s west, provided details that aided authorities in locating human remains. The banner had been disseminated via social networks, inviting help from residents in finding the victims.
Earlier discoveries included five bodies found buried on the grounds of two distinct homes to the city’s west center, on February 20. These were also the result of an anonymous written note displayed on a banner at the same location. The attorney general emphasized that locating victims remains a priority to address the families’ concerns and deliver closure where possible.
As of now, authorities have not released details about the sex of the recovered individuals. The timing of the latest finds follows the federal government’s public apology to families of six missing women and a baby, in response to a recommendation from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The district attorney Salas stated that efforts would continue in the coming weeks, with intense programs and data-driven searches continuing to guide the operation.
During earlier press briefings, Juárez Public Security Secretary César Omar Muñoz Morales linked the violence to three major regional issues: illicit drug trade, street-level drug distribution, and human trafficking. Local officials have repeatedly framed these problems as interconnected and deeply affecting the community’s safety and wellbeing. Ciudad Juárez, in the state of Chihuahua, has long faced some of the highest violence rates in the country and remains a focal point in discussions about femicide and gender-based violence. Public safety authorities continue to monitor the situation, coordinate with national agencies, and pursue leads that may illuminate the sequence of events that have destabilized parts of this border region. The community awaits further updates as investigators pursue additional evidence and testimonies to build a fuller picture of the incidents and their broader context in the area.