Shock in Celaya, Mexico City listed as the 5th most violent in the world in 2021. In that municipality, in the state of Guanajuato, six women disappeared on March 7, 2023 and nine days later it was learned that they had been murdered. The bodies were found in a clandestine grave.

The information about the deaths of the missing persons was presented by the public prosecutor’s office on Thursday, March 16, a fact widely criticized for not informing their families earlier.

“In the past 16 hours, a series of operations have been carried out in the Laja-Bajío area, where we have unfortunately found evidence that some of them have taken their lives,” said Guanajuato prosecutor Carlos Zamarripa Aguirre.

They play with our pain, relatives of the victims claimed

With pain and uncertainty, the relatives stated that they were aware of the death of their daughters through social networks.

“They haven’t told us anything. We know it from social networks. What we want is for them to confirm us (…)”, said the aunt of one of the six women.

When they heard the devastating news, they went to the prosecutor’s office of the Celaya Region “C”. A Guanajuato official was in charge of confirming the deaths of their loved ones,” El Universal reported.

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Who were the disappeared

The women knew each other and disappeared on March 7 “when they were on their way to San Jose de Guanajuato together.” The youngest was 19 years old. The oldest, 48.

They were identified by their relatives when they denounced the case that led them to pain as: Mariana Gutiérrez (19), Paulina Reséndiz (25), Yoselin Zamorano (20), Sandra Paredes (24), Rosa Ramírez (42) and Gabriela Barbosa, from age 48.

According to clues, the women worked together at a banquet prior to their disappearance.

Prosecutor Carlos Zamarripa reported on Thursday, March 16, 2023 the arrest of at least a dozen people and several raids derived from operations carried out in the Laja-Bajío area as part of the case, López Dóriga published.

Those arrested are believed to include members of the alias “El Marro” cartel, journalist Paola Rojas said.

Zamarripa indicated this on the afternoon of Friday, March 17 the women’s bodies were found burned in a clandestine grave in the municipality of Juventino Rosas.

Five bodies had been identified. “One more woman has yet to be identified as the remains were completely charred.”

What’s happening in Celaya

In less than two weeks, nine women in Celaya disappeared.

Two of them, Aristegui Noticias reported, “were found alive. Sandra Martínez, who disappeared on March 10, was found on March 14.

And Juana Paredes disappeared on March 9 after going to the Public Prosecution Service to report her sister’s disappearance. He also returned home and according to Zamarripa his situation was “different”.