Mexican authorities have concluded that Rancho Izaguirre, located in Teuchitlán, Jalisco, served as a training and recruitment center for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), rather than a mass cremation site as previously speculated. Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero stated that forensic investigations, including analyses by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), found no evidence of high-temperature incineration necessary for cremating human remains.
The ranch gained national attention in March 2025 when the volunteer group Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco discovered over 200 pairs of shoes, clothing, and bone fragments at the site. These findings led to widespread protests and demands for justice from families of the disappeared.
Despite these discoveries, federal investigators have not confirmed the presence of mass graves or systematic cremation activities. The Attorney General emphasized that while the site was used for cartel operations, including training, there is no conclusive proof of it being an extermination camp.
The case has highlighted the broader issue of disappearances in Mexico, with over 127,000 people officially reported missing. The federal government has taken over the investigation, and at least 15 individuals, including local police and a cartel recruiter, have been arrested in connection with the ranch.
Families and advocacy groups continue to seek answers, urging authorities to conduct thorough investigations and bring those responsible to justice. The situation underscores the challenges Mexico faces in addressing organized crime and the plight of the disappeared.
