By KELIN DILLON

In a decisive move, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Wednesday, March 12, that the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) will investigate the controversial case of a clandestine crematorium discovered in Teuchitlán, Jalisco, purportedly run by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

During her daily morning press conference, Sheinbaum described the disturbing images of the Rancho Izaguirre case and emphasized the urgency of uncovering the truth. 

“We’re asking the FGR to take on the Jalisco case. The first thing we need to do is investigate because the images are painful, and we need to know what happened there before anything else,” Sheinbaum said. 

This announcement follows comments made by Attorney General Alejandro Gertz, who stated the necessity of preliminary investigations to determine the local Jalisco Attorney General’s Office’s knowledge of the situation before taking any decisive actions. 

“We will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the background of this case. It is implausible that local authorities were unaware of such an alarming situation,” said Gertz.

The FGR head highlighted the importance of establishing whether the crimes fall under federal jurisdiction, noting, “We must present a detailed report outlining the history of the site, including the identities of those who protected this area and the ownership of the properties involved.” 

Reports have also emerged detailing how the CJNG has been recruiting young individuals through deceptive job offers with enticing salaries advertised on social media platforms such as Facebook and TikTok. 

The Jalisco Attorney General’s Office is poised to investigate possible negligence concerning the Rancho Izaguirre site, where a raid in September 2024 uncovered a CJNG worksite but failed to identify any crematoriums, which were discovered this March.

Located approximately 57.9 kilometers from Guadalajara, this facility reportedly served multiple purposes: as a safe house, a training camp, and an extermination site for organized crime factions. 

Within this location, authorities have seized five lots containing charred human remains and over 400 articles of clothing, shoes, and suitcases believed to belong to young people coerced into forced recruitment. 

According to a purported eyewitness that claims they were held at the camp, the CJNG supposedly used the Rancho Izaguirre site for organ trafficking.