Mexico: 16 bodies found dumped in truck in Guerrero
A corpse lies on the floor next to a car outside a house in Acapulco, Guerrero state, Mexico on September 2010. Seven people were killed with AK-47 assault rifles during a suspected clash between drug dealers.
Police found the bodies of 16 men dumped in a pick-up truck in the southwestern state of Guerrero in Mexico on Monday, according to Reuters.
The local police said the victims had been shot and showed signs of torture.
"We don't yet have information on who these people are. This is a very violent area," said a police official, according to Reuters.
The Guerrero state Attorney General's office said the bodies were found in Coyuca de Catalan, about 170 miles southwest of Mexico City, reported the Associated Press.
More on GlobalPost: 11 bodies with signs of torture found near Mexico's Acapulco
The AP noted that the area is a battleground between rival drug cartels including La Familia Michoacana and the breakaway Knights Templar.
In a separate incident, a former Mexican law enforcement official was sentenced to eight years in prison for helping Mexican drug traffickers. The AP said Jesus Quinonez, who worked closely with the US on cross-border investigations, told a judge that a relationship with an informant led to him making mistakes.