The Mexican police have taken this spray-painted message as a reference to Los Zetas, which often leaves messages signed “Z” at crime scenes to intimidate both authorities and rivals. South of the border, meanwhile, officials say the Sinaloa is responsible for much of the cartel-linked violence that has left an estimated 80,000 dead since 2006, when the Mexican government officially launched a war on drug trafficking. Other experts put that number much higher, and say as many as 200,000 may have fallen victim to the drug gangs.

The attorney’s office declared that the victims were dismembered to prevent them from being identified. Nonetheless, the victims are believed to be more than 25 years of age, and many of them had tattoos of the Santa Muerte (“Holy Death”) – a female uf sona marketing skeletal grim reaper – which could facilitate their identification. The bodies were taken to the hospital in the University of Monterrey for DNA testing and further investigation; dozens of military men were ordered to guard the surrounding area.

But prosecutors said Monday that they cannot say how many were killed, because the attackers cleaned up the scene, washed the sidewalk and carted away any bodies. Investigators found only a bag full of brains and shell casings at the scene. Investigators comb the site where more than a dozen people were believed to have been killed, in San José de Gracia, Michoacán state, on 28 February. In January this year, seven were left dead in Cancun when CJNG and a rival gang had a shootout in the streets.

In the most gruesome case, gunmen burst into a nightclub and rolled five heads onto the dance floor. I think I am honna be hated for this, but for some reason I funnied when the head fell in the end. “Frozen, my mouth agape, I tried to process what had just happened. A fire rushed to my face and tears welled in my eyes. I wanted the ground to swallow me whole.” Nicole Scherzinger just revealed her strong butt and legs in brand new Instagram photos. The headless body of Lopez – presumably a witness to her grandmother’s murder – was later discovered by a farmer, still wearing her gingerbread man pajamas. But the men with Mendoza are believed to have discovered the texts late that night.

In addition, Los Zetas is a transient cartel without real territory or a secure stream of income, while the Sinaloa Cartel has a lucrative cocaine trade and the control of smuggling routes and territories. But the former are heavily armed, while the latter’s enforcement arm is weaker. The Sinaloa cartel uses tit-for-tat attacks as a way of bringing down the newcomers; for Los Zetas, it is about maintaining their violent reputation – the organization’s most valued asset. In addition, the goal of Los Zetas differs greatly from other drug trafficking organizations in Mexico.

Nuevo León’s security spokesman said that the 49 people were killed up to 48 hours earlier at a different location, most likely in the neighboring state of Tamaulipas, and then transported by truck to where they were found. In addition, he said at a news conference that a banner left at the site bore a message with Los Zetas claiming responsibility for the killing. A large black “Z 100%” was spray-painted on a road sign close to where the bodies were found.

He is one of the 37 fugitives that escaped during the Apodaca prison riot in February 2012, where 44 Gulf Cartel inmates were killed. CARTEL killers who butchered nine Mormon women and children in Mexico are fighting the most barbaric drugs war in the country’s blood-soaked history. At the lower levels, a host of alleged cartel collaborators have also fallen, including nine drivers from a single taxi company in Roldanillo, Varela’s hometown and one the region’s worst hit. Escobar’s way of handling problems was “plata o plomo,” meaning “silver” or “lead” . While he preferred the former, he had no qualms about the latter option, earning a reputation for ruthlessness. He reportedly killed some 4,000 people, including numerous police officers and government officials.

This rampant bloodshed has torn apart cities and communities across Mexico, often taking the lives of the innocent along with those directly involved. Escobar’s private zoo was home to some 200 animals, including elephants, ostriches, zebras, camels, and giraffes. Many of the creatures were smuggled into the country aboard Escobar’s drug planes. The potentially dangerous animals have damaged farms and inspired fear in locals. Authorities began castrating male hippos in an effort to control the population.