A security official in Mexico said the 13 migrants, who had been kidnapped in Chihuahua near the U.S.-Mexico border, may have been killed during a turf war between Mexican drug cartels.

Based on the reports of Mexican and U.S. sources, rival gangs were fighting for control of local trafficking networks and smuggling routes in this northern state bordering Texas.

13 Migrants Allegedly Died in the Hands of Mexican Drug Cartels

The family members of the 13 migrants and a human rights advocate said some of the migrants, who disappeared this fall, headed for the Midland-Odessa and Dallas areas.

They said they were hoping the group, all men mostly from the Chihuahua state, was still alive or, at worst, being held for ransom or forced into labor for Mexican drug cartels.

But a Mexican security official familiar with the investigation told The Dallas Morning News that authorities were "looking for bodies," or what was "left behind" out in the desert.

The Mexican official, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal, said he believed the migrants were no longer alive.

The incident, which happened in late September, was considered part of a growing pattern of disappearances of migrants in the area. Despite being peaceful recently, the area has its reputation and long history of cartel-related violence.

READ NEXT: Mafia, Local Politicians Involved in Mexican Drug Cartel's Turf Wars; Evidences Revealed in Mexico's Recent Beachside Attacks

Migrants Crossing U.S.-Mexico Border End Up as Mexican Drug Cartels' Victims

Veteran human rights activist, who works with an organization called Centro de Derechos Humanos de las Mujeres, Gabino Gomez Escarcega, emphasized that the area is like a no man's land.

Before his statement, Gomez stood with family members of the missing migrants outside the state capitol's office in Chihuahua, protesting and demanding answers in the disappearance of their loved ones. They held posters emblazoned with their loved ones' faces and signs with messages saying that it was not just the group who had been victims of the drug-related turf wars but many others.

Veteran security and immigration experts were concerned that the violence was prompted by the restrictive immigration policies imposed by the U.S. 

The current U.S. immigration policies have reportedly left tens of thousands of migrants in limbo along the border, lingering in dangerous Mexican towns where they could end up as victims of several criminal groups. 

Critics said the policies had created a booming industry for smugglers. The director of the Justice in Mexico program at the University of San Diego, David Shirk, noted that the policies increased the number of individuals who were on the radar of the migrant smugglers.

The president of the Migration Policy Institute, Andrew Selee, noted that the Mexican drug cartels used to look down on human smuggling because they saw it as a secondary business and a much less lucrative business.

However, the numbers are changing as the smuggling of migrants becomes more attractive to try for the Mexican drug cartels.

READ MORE: 1 Dead, 14 Injured After Suspect Opens Fire on Crowd in Texas: Sheriff

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: U.S. Expels Thousands of Haitian Migrants From Texas Town on Mexico Border - From South China Morning Post