MEXICO CITY—Authorities on the Gulf coast of Mexico said the bodies of seven men have been found dumped on a roadway in the Huasteca region, long popular among tourists.
Prosecutors in San Luis Potosi state said late Thursday the bodies did not appear to be from the township of Aquismon, and may have been killed elsewhere and dumped in the rural area.
Photos of the bodies showed extensive bruising on the corpses, suggesting they had been beaten.
Writing scrawled in markers on the corpses said “this is what happened to me for working with the Gulf,” an apparent reference to the Gulf cartel, which operates mainly along the U.S. border to the north.
The messages were signed “Valles Operation O.B.,” apparently a reference to a rival gang.
The Huasteca region has long been popular with Mexican tourists for its waterfalls and crystalline rivers.