Authorities said that four bodies bound in blood were discovered Friday in the wreckage of a helicopter in Mexico’s Gulf Coast Huasteca region. There were also signs indicating their death by a drug gang.
These killings were the second act in a month of brutal violence in the region.
Prosecutors from the northern state San Luis Potosi claimed that the private helicopter was used for tourists. Prosecutors in the northern state of San Luis Potosi claimed that the craft didn't appear to have crashed but had been deliberately set ablaze. The four victims were handcuffed, they said.
The shocking discovery was made in Aguabuena, Tamasopo's township, near a series of well-known waterfalls.
Prosecutors claimed they found several sheets of cardboard with criminal messages, but didn't reveal the contents. These hand-written messages are often left by Mexican drug cartels to intimidate or threaten their opponents.
Mexican tourists have long loved the Huasteca region for its waterfalls, crystalline rivers, and beautiful scenery.
Authorities in San Luis Potosi discovered seven bodies dumped on a road in the Huasteca region near San Luis Potosi in early June. They were located in the township Aquismon.
Photographs of the bodies revealed extensive bruising, which suggests that they were beaten.
The corpses had "This is what happened" written in marker on them. This was an apparent reference to Gulf cartel which operates mostly along the U.S.-North border.
These messages were signed "Valles Operation O.B." This was apparently in reference to a rival gang.
The Justice Department announced in May that Mario Cardenas Guillen, former leader of the Gulf Cartel, was extradited from Mexico to face drug trafficking charges.
Anne Milgram, DEA Administrator, stated that the cartel uses intimidation and extreme violence in order to control its territory in northeast Mexico and smuggle deadly drug into American communities.
A recent report from the Congressional Research Service shows that Sinaloa's main rival was the Gulf Cartel for trafficking routes in 2000s. However, it is now fighting Los Zetas and Zeta Cartel splinter organizations over territory in northeastern Mexico.
According to official statistics, Mexico has seen more than 340,000 deaths since December 2006, when it launched a controversial anti-drug military operation.
Local authorities reported that an Italian businessman and owner a well-known Mexican hotel was killed and shot in Palenque, where he lived.
According to the Southernmost State of Chiapas' prosecutor, Raphael Alessandro Tunesi was preparing to pick up his daughters at school on Friday.
The office stated that "police officers arrived and found him in a vehicle... with multiple bullet wounds."
Tunesi, who had lived in Chiapas for many years, was considered to be an expert on Mayan culture.
He co-owned the Quinta Chanabnal with his Mexican wife. It was a luxurious hotel that was inspired by Mayan ruins nearby. This has been the setting for many film productions.
A friend of the family, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told AFP that Tunesi was highly regarded in Palenque.
According to the friend, organized crime groups demanded extortion payments from merchants in the area. This is an important centre of Mayan culture with archeological treasures that attract tourists from Mexico and around the world.
Officials confirmed that an investigation has been opened into the murder.
Authorities say that attacks on businesses in Mexico have increased in recent years as a result of extortion demands by criminal syndicates.
11 people were killed in attacks on two bars and a hotel in Celaya in central Mexico's Guanajuato region, May 24.
This report was contributed by AFP
