Authorities in Mexico uncovered approximately 400 human corpses inside a building in Juárez, a city bordering El Paso, Texas, in a startling discovery that has sent shockwaves throughout the region.
On Tuesday, Mail Online reported that 383 entire human corpses and six sets of partial remains were discovered heaped inside what was once assumed to be a private property but was apparently used as a hidden cremation.
The terrible discovery was revealed last Thursday after a tip led security officers to the location.
Investigators determined that some of the remains had been held for as long as three to four years. Many of them appeared to have been embalmed but not buried or burned as intended.
Jose Luis Arellano Cuaron and a staffer operated the building, and they have since been detained and accused of unlawful disposal of human remains.
Authorities hinted at the prospect of additional charges if evidence of homicide was discovered during the current investigation.
Cesar Jauregui, Chihuahua’s Attorney General, stated that the corpses are thought to have come from at least six different funeral homes in Juárez.
In several cases, families were reportedly given ashes under the mistaken belief that their loved ones had been cremated.
“They constantly received bodies for cremation. They misrepresented hundreds of times to funeral companies that they would be cremating those bodies,” Jauregui stated during a press briefing.
While the proprietor appeared to have three licences to operate at one time, it was unclear whether the business was in good standing.
The governor of Chihuahua informed reporters that the crematorium was handled by “irresponsible and unscrupulous” people, accusing them of misusing government authorisation and breaching the trust of mourning families.
The horrifying discovery of the corpses has reignited anxieties among the families of missing people in Juárez, a city known for cartel violence and kidnappings.
Many migrants trying to cross into the United States have gone missing or been kidnapped in recent years, and relatives are now concerned that some of the victims may be among the corpses discovered.
‘Of course, all the families, including ourselves, were concerned and wondered who was there. What bodies are there? Have they been identified? The mothers told us, ‘My daughter is not there.'” Yadira Cortez, a spokeswoman of the Ciudad Juárez Women’s Roundtable Network, told KFOX.
The state has established a protocol for anyone who suspects a loved one may be present.
Authorities have requested families who fear their loved ones are among the recovered remains to provide identifying documents, clothing details, and contact information for the funeral facilities they used.
