Mexico: 2 Bodies Found Hanging From Bridge, 3 Police Officers Killed as Mexican Drug Cartels Battle for Territory
General view of Zacatecas City, Mexico on June 30, 2015, where later in the day Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will be visiting, part of their first state visit to the Americas since their coronation. HECTOR GUERRERO/AFP via Getty Images

Two human bodies were found hanging from a bridge on Wednesday in Mexico's Zacatecas state, which is plagued with violence between several Mexican drug cartels.

According to a Reforma, the horrifying scene took place on highway 45 in Cuauhtémoc town on the border with Aguascalientes.

The report said the bodies later fell to the ground as the victims struggled to save themselves. The two individuals reportedly died from suffocation.

Some people traveling along the road claimed to have seen those responsible fleeing from the scene. Moments later, responding law enforcement officers arrived to secure the area and preserve the crime scene. It was reportedly the same highway where 10 bodies were left hanging last November.

In another disturbing scene at Zacatecas on Wednesday, three dead bodies of police officers were found inside an abandoned vehicle on a dirt road in Sombrerete town.

In a statement, Sombrerete Mayor Alan Murillo said the three lifeless victims found inside "a van-type vehicle were members of the municipal public security system.

According to local reports, authorities found the victims' Ford Windstar on a highway that leads to La Blanca town. They stopped to inspect the vehicle after seeing that the vehicle's engine was running. They found the three bodies when they approached the minivan.

According to Murillo, the case is being handled by the Zacatecas State Attorney General's Office, while municipal authorities continue to help in the investigation.

Bodies Hung From Bridges in Mexico by Mexican Drug Cartels

Last November, at least 19 bodies were found hanging from separate bridges and a tree in Mexico's Zacatecas state.

Three bodies were found hanging from a bridge in Fresnillo town on November 15 and 10 bodies from another bridge in Cuauhtémoc town on November 18. After a week, another three bodies were found hanging from an overpass in Fresnillo and three more from a tree in the same town.

Zacatecas state is reportedly seeing a number of murders as rival Mexican drug cartels fight for control of some highways that link border states with the rest of Mexico.

Most of the cartel violence in Zacatecas is allegedly connected to turf wars between the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco cartel.

In late November, at least 12 were reported dead in a series of clashes between the Jalisco cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel in Zacatecas.

Human remains were also found in two plastic bags in the same month. At least four municipalities in Zacatecas reportedly ran out of police officers after mass resignations in November.

In early December, an SUV filled with 10 bodies was left outside the state governor's office. The bodies were discovered crammed inside a Mazda SUV abandoned near a Christmas tree in the main plaza of the state capital of Zacatecas.

From January 18 to 25 this year, Zacatecas reportedly had 24 intentional homicides. Last year, the state had a total of 1,621.

Turf Wars Between Jalisco Cartel and Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico's Zacatecas State

Aside from the Jalisco cartel and Sinaloa Cartel, the Gulf Cartel, Northeast Cartel, and the Los Talibanes also reportedly operate in Zacatecas state. All five crime organizations are involved in the operations of trafficking fentanyl and other illegal drugs.

Security experts said an unprecedented wave of violence had enveloped the streets of Zacatecas as the Mexican drug cartels fought over the territory.

Security experts noted that Zacatecas was not only an important market for drug dealing, but it was also crucial in transporting fentanyl from Mexico's South Pacific ports to the U.S. border.

Zacatecas reportedly links the center and west of Mexico to the American border, a key territory for drug-trafficking routes.

Mexican drug cartels usually make public displays of bodies to taunt their rivals or authorities. It is also sometimes used to scare local residents.

The Jalisco cartel or the Jalisco Cartel New Generation is currently the Sinaloa Cartel's main rival. The Jalisco cartel is being led by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known by his alias "El Mencho," according to an InsightCrime report.

The Sinaloa Cartel is reportedly not a hierarchical structure as its leaders like Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman and Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada all maintained their own separate but cooperating organizations.

The Jalisco cartel came out from the Sinaloa Cartel in 2010 after the death of former Sinaloa Cartel capo Ignacio Coronel, known as "Nacho," who was killed by Mexican security forces. Nacho's death resulted in the split into two factions - "La Resistencia" and "Torcidos" - of the Sinaloa Cartel.

The "Torcidos" became what is now the Jalisco cartel, which has since expanded rapidly in Mexico. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel or Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) involves itself in many criminal activities, including international drug trafficking.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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