ZITLALA, Mexico, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Mexican authorities said a tip from local residents in a rural southern state led to the grisly discovery of 32 dead bodies and nine decapitated heads.
The killings came amid a wave of violence between rival drug cartels in Guererro state. Residents in the mountainous town of Zitlala told police that several individuals were being held hostage in the area as part of a kidnapping plot by members of a drug cartel. When Mexican army officials arrived in the area to investigate, they made the discovery.