Chiapas, Dec 29 (V7N) — Authorities in the southeastern Mexican state of Chiapas have discovered a secret grave containing at least 15 bodies, amid ongoing violence between rival drug cartels.

Governor Eduardo Ramirez shared details of the grim find and ongoing operations to restore stability in the agricultural Frailesca region, near the Guatemalan border, through a statement on the social media platform X.

"Unfortunately, 15 bodies have been found so far in secret graves on two private lands," Ramirez said, as reported by AFP. He added that the operation also resulted in the seizure of weapons, vehicles, and drugs, with four individuals taken into custody.

The Frailesca region has been plagued by bloody clashes between drug cartels vying for control over lucrative trafficking routes. Chiapas, strategically located near Guatemala, serves as a key corridor for smuggling drugs into Mexico and beyond.

This discovery adds to the grim tally of Mexico's drug war, which began in 2006 with a controversial anti-drug campaign. Since then, over 445,000 people have been killed, and countless others have disappeared in cartel-related violence.

The Mexican government continues its efforts to combat cartel violence, but the discovery in Chiapas highlights the persistent and harrowing impact of the drug trade on the region and its people.

END/RH/AJ