Nine Bodies Found Dismembered in Mexico Believed to Be Vacationing Students

OAXACA, MEX - Nine bodies, believed to be missing students on vacation, were discovered dismembered on the side of a highway in Mexico earlier this week, according to local reports.

Authorities said the remains of four women and five men were found in an abandoned Volkswagen Vento in San José Miahuatlán, Puebla. The victims, originally from Tlaxcala, were reportedly missing before the discovery. A tarp covering five bodies and a bag containing eight pairs of hands were found inside the vehicle, with two additional hands located in the trunk.

They had been traveling to the beaches in Oaxaca to celebrate their graduation.

Officials have not confirmed the identities of the victims, citing the ongoing investigation. Idamis Pastor Betancourt, head of the State Attorney General’s Office, said authorities would release further details once the investigation is complete.

Two of the victims were identified as women who had been reported missing in Oaxaca on Feb. 28. Angie Lizeth Perez Garcia, 29, was last seen traveling with Brenda Mariel Salas Moya in a Ford Fiesta with Yucatan plates. Salas Moya was initially reported missing but was later found alive in Puebla.

Another victim, 21-year-old Lesly Noya Trejo, was identified on Facebook by a city official from Tetla, Tlaxcala.

Other individuals reported missing in connection to the case include Raúl Emmanuel González Lozano and Noemí Yamileth Lopez Moratilla, both 28, last seen at Zipolite Beach in San Pedro Pochutla on Feb. 28. The mother of another missing person, Jacqueline Ailet Meza, 23, wrote on Facebook that her daughter was “taken” from a beach in Huatulco.

The missing individuals ranged in age from 19 to 30 and had all traveled to beaches in Oaxaca. Authorities have not determined whether they knew each other.