At least 54 people were buried in a clandestine grave in Las Agujas, Zapopan.

GUADALAJARA, Jal. (apro) .- In a press conference held this Thursday in Guadalajara, Jalisco, the director of the Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences (IJCF), Axel Rivera Martínez, reported on the discovery of at least 54 people in the clandestine grave of Las Agujas, located in Zapopan.

So far, 249 plastic bags containing human remains have been counted at the site, although the final number of victims will be determined once the anthropological, medical, and genetic processes are completed.

“The analysis to determine exactly how many people there are involves several processes in that area. We would have a minimum number of victims, currently approaching 54. I mention this minimum number because once the anthropology, medical, and genetics processes, which take longer, are completed, we would only then define the total number,” explained Rivera Martínez.

The official described the process at Las Agujas as meticulous and detailed, noting that it is carried out in stages that include the recovery of bags from the extensive property, followed by exhaustive laboratory analysis involving doctors, criminalists, and anthropologists.

“The work involves several phases; it's not a simple task. The first phase is recovery. It's a fairly large property. The first phase was to obtain most of the bags. It was in this first phase that the contents of each bag were detected and reviewed. This can vary, ranging from one body segment to several. The analysis, which is done in forensic science laboratories, involves scientific evaluation by doctors, criminalists, and anthropologists, and then the collection of genetic samples, which are sent to the laboratories for genetic profiling. This requires a great deal of work because it's not just about taking the segment and examining it, but it's a process that's not only technical but also humanitarian, treating that part of the person with all the respect that this part of the person deserves,” he explained.

Rivera Martínez highlighted the importance of describing and photographing tattoos, records of which are updated daily on an internet microsite.

“Furthermore, with the goal of being very thorough in obtaining as much information as possible. In the text we obtain, even a segment, we can see if they have tattoos, and not only can we see them, but we also describe them and take photographs of them. The goal is to make these descriptions as clear and precise as possible so that people who might access the microsite, which has forensic sciences from anywhere in the world, even through the internet, can search in the search engine, enter, for example, a keyword, rose, for example, and we'll see all the possible roses, not just that rose, but all of them. So, all of that information is being uploaded daily,” he explained.

The director also addressed the inherent difficulties in extracting DNA, due to environmental factors such as humidity, bacteria, and fungi, which complicate accurate identification of victims.

To address these challenges, advanced techniques are being used and advice is being sought from other prosecutors' offices, including international ones, with the aim of avoiding re-victimization while prioritizing accurate victim identification.

The search, conducted in Las Agujas in collaboration with the National Search Commission and the State Search Commission, includes the use of two backhoes operating in parallel. Although no new clues have been discovered recently, systematic inspections of the area continue.