Scholars working with a local non-profit organization have unearthed a disturbing fact in relation to the drug trade fueling the ongoing violence between Mexico's cartel gangs.

The group from the Ibero-American University of Mexico City and Tijuana determined that, since 2009, over 1,000 clandestine graves and more than 2,000 dead bodies have been found throughout the country.

Mexico's National Commission on Human Rights collected data points on hidden graves from 12 of the nation's 32 federal prosecution officers. Their study also consisted of reports from local news entities to help fill in any missing statistics.

The study's final estimate indicated that up to 1,143 secret burial sites have been found nationwide, with the majority of the covert graves being tucked away in states, such as Guerrero, Jalisco, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, and Michoacan.

The report also suggests that in this eight-year timeframe, 1,548 corpses were found in these graves and suspect that 30,000 people are still missing.

The capture of Sinaloa cartel's leader, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, has sparked a surge in violence as rival gangs are currently vying for control over disputed territory.

More than 20,000 reported homicides took place in just 2016 alone, making it one of Mexico's deadliest years since the beginning of the state's military-led crackdown on drug cartels.

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