In brief
Mexico's Attorney General Alejandro Gertz clarifies that while the Izaguirre ranch was linked to cartel activities, there is no evidence to support claims of human cremations, despite previous reports suggesting otherwise.
In a significant development, Attorney General Alejandro Gertz of Mexico announced that the notorious Izaguirre ranch, once labeled an “extermination camp” by groups searching for missing persons, served primarily as a training ground for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. At a press conference, Gertz emphasized that no evidence substantiates claims that human cremations took place at the site located in Teuchitlán, Jalisco.The announcement comes after months of speculation fueled by the discovery of personal items and burned remains at the ranch. Officials originally began investigating the location in September, leading to intense media scrutiny. Gertz noted that while a small number of bone fragments were found, forensic studies indicated that the temperatures recorded at the site did not reach the levels required for cremation; specifically, heat levels exceeded 200 degrees Celsius, well below the 800 degrees Celsius typically necessary for such processes.Previously, Gertz had mentioned that investigators were looking into reports of human remains showing traces of cremation, but he has since retracted those statements, emphasizing the lack of crematory evidence. Additionally, Mexico’s security minister, Omar García Harfuch, suggested that individuals resisting cartel training or attempting to escape were often murdered by the organization, reinforcing the site’s grim reputation in the ongoing struggle against drug-related violence in Mexico.The attorney general’s latest comments mark a notable shift in the narrative surrounding the ranch, painting a picture of a site associated closely with cartel recruitment and training rather than systematic extermination—a narrative that has yet to settle within the communities affected by the rampant violence in the region.
