Just miles from a designated World Cup venue, authorities in western Mexico have uncovered more than 500 bags containing human remains in a series of clandestine graves. The discoveries are centered in and around Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state, where at least mass 22 grave sites have been located since last year.
Four of those sites alone have yielded more than 500 bags of remains, according to reporting from El País. Some of the graves are located near Akron Stadium, one of three Mexican venues set to host World Cup matches.
Between February and September 2025, 270 bags of remains were recovered from a 54-acre property known as Las Agujas in Zapopan, a city adjacent to Guadalajara. Construction workers initially uncovered the site. It has since become one of the largest mass grave discoveries in Mexico this year. In October, another 48 bags of remains were found in a separate clandestine grave in the same area, CBS News reported.
The findings come as cartel violence surged following the killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, who was reportedly taken out by Mexican authorities on Sunday. In the aftermath, coordinated attacks erupted across 20 of Mexico’s 32 states. Gunmen fired on security forces and set vehicles and buildings ablaze. At least 70 people were killed, including 25 military personnel, officials said.
Some 130,000 people are listed as missing in Mexico, a 200% increase over the past decade. Many of the cases are believed to be linked to cartel activity.
“In Jalisco, the missing are made to vanish,” Jaime Aguilar of the Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco told El País. “This is so it won’t be known; they want to erase all traces of the disappeared.”
The proximity of the graves to World Cup infrastructure has raised some obvious safety concerns. “All the findings are gaining attention, because they’re being linked to the World Cup. It’s several miles away, but this is happening near a World Cup stadium,” the Guerreros Buscadores said.
Local business owners are uneasy. “I don’t think they should host the World Cup here,” Hugo Perez, who owns a restaurant near the stadium, told the Associated Press. “We have so many problems, and they want to invest in the World Cup? With all the violence, it’s not a good idea.”
Mexico is set to co-host the tournament with the United States and Canada. President Claudia Sheinbaum said there is “no risk” to fans and that there are “every guarantee” of security. Jalisco Gov. Jesus Pablo Lemus said FIFA has “absolutely no intention of removing any venues from Mexico.”
Four of those sites alone have yielded more than 500 bags of remains, according to reporting from El País. Some of the graves are located near Akron Stadium, one of three Mexican venues set to host World Cup matches.
Between February and September 2025, 270 bags of remains were recovered from a 54-acre property known as Las Agujas in Zapopan, a city adjacent to Guadalajara. Construction workers initially uncovered the site. It has since become one of the largest mass grave discoveries in Mexico this year. In October, another 48 bags of remains were found in a separate clandestine grave in the same area, CBS News reported.
The findings come as cartel violence surged following the killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, who was reportedly taken out by Mexican authorities on Sunday. In the aftermath, coordinated attacks erupted across 20 of Mexico’s 32 states. Gunmen fired on security forces and set vehicles and buildings ablaze. At least 70 people were killed, including 25 military personnel, officials said.
Some 130,000 people are listed as missing in Mexico, a 200% increase over the past decade. Many of the cases are believed to be linked to cartel activity.
“In Jalisco, the missing are made to vanish,” Jaime Aguilar of the Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco told El País. “This is so it won’t be known; they want to erase all traces of the disappeared.”
The proximity of the graves to World Cup infrastructure has raised some obvious safety concerns. “All the findings are gaining attention, because they’re being linked to the World Cup. It’s several miles away, but this is happening near a World Cup stadium,” the Guerreros Buscadores said.
Local business owners are uneasy. “I don’t think they should host the World Cup here,” Hugo Perez, who owns a restaurant near the stadium, told the Associated Press. “We have so many problems, and they want to invest in the World Cup? With all the violence, it’s not a good idea.”
Mexico is set to co-host the tournament with the United States and Canada. President Claudia Sheinbaum said there is “no risk” to fans and that there are “every guarantee” of security. Jalisco Gov. Jesus Pablo Lemus said FIFA has “absolutely no intention of removing any venues from Mexico.”
