35 Bodies Dumped on Mexican Road

The bodies of 35 people believed to have links to drug cartels were found under a highway bridge in Veracruz during rush hour yesterday. Two trucks containing the corpses were left to block traffic, with their doors left open allowing bodies to spill out, CNN reports. The bodies, both men and women, showed signs of torture. All seven victims identified so far had criminal records that included extortion and drug trafficking, police say.

Veracruz had been relatively free of drug-related violence until recently, but violent incidents are now on the rise, Reuters notes. The Zetas cartel, to which the victims found yesterday were believed to belong, is clashing with other cartels seeking to export drugs through the port city. Dozens of prisoners escaped from jails in the area early this week, but investigators say they are not related to yesterday's slaughter. (More Veracruz stories.)