Mass Extermination Ranch Discovered at CJNG Training Camp in Jalisco, Hundreds Believed to Have Disappeared

 "Socalj" for Borderland Beat

After locating three large ovens containing human remains at a former CJNG training center in Teuchitlán, Jalisco, authorities found 200 pairs of shoes, 400 items of clothing, and suitcases at the ranch. The Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco collective reported that at least 200 people may have been victims there.

Izaguirre Ranch in Teuchitlán

Just six months ago, a training camp was still operating here, but it was raided and dismantled on September 18, 2024.

"It is a fairly large property, if you remember, at that time there were 10 detainees and two rescued, a search was carried out in certain parts of the ranch and remains were found, but the entire ranch could not be processed because it is quite a few hectares..." stated Salvador González de los Santos, the State Attorney General of Jalisco.

Authorities supposedly also searched the ranch during that time.

The prosecutor also pointed out that at that time, Luis Joaquín Méndez was in charge of the Jalisco prosecutor's office, in addition to mentioning that the search group was informed of the location of the remains and the CJNG extermination camp.

But, authorities also raided the ranch in 2019 that is around 10-hectares, or 25 acres large.

The ranch is located about 3 miles from Teuchitlán, a town just over an hour from Guadalajara. Between a dirt road and agricultural plots lies the property where the three clandestine crematoriums were found. Remains and bone fragments severely damaged by cremation have been found here. Gunshot holes remain visible on the walls of the ranch.

"This is the first crematorium, this is the second, and over there is the third crematorium. This is what has been removed. These are burned human bones, look. They started searching and digging and found these remains that probably belong to a relative who is being searched for."

The ovens were apparently hidden under a layer of dirt and a brick slab, which partly prevented their detection during the September 2024 raid.

The surroundings become even darker when an altar was found with images of Santa Muerte surrounded by half-burned candles.

Evidence collected at the site would indicate that this ranch would have served to train people who were victims of forced recruitment. Weapons, tactical vests, large tires and logs were found used for strength training.

CJNG Training Camp

According to Índira Navarro, a representative of the Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco collective, the ranch was called “The Little School of Terror,” a center where new arrivals were forced to fight each other as part of a process divided into three phases of training.

According to Navarro, “they made them fight each other to see who was stronger. Many could not stand the training, some were killed for simply complaining. Others fell from exhaustion. We had to dig holes, pits, we put a bed of stones or bricks, we poured gasoline on them, whatever we could to make it ignite. We used it once, twice, three times and covered it up,” he said referencing survivor testimony.

The Izaguirre Ranch was only the beginning of the training process, which was followed by other stages. Those who “got away” were sent as hitmen to Zacatecas or Michoacán.

The last phase, it has been reported, consisted of more advanced training by former Colombian soldiers and/or elite elements known as Kaibiles, from the Guatemalan Army. “That ranch was just kindergarten…if you graduated they sent you to the battlefield. Like cannon fodder,” said one of the survivors quoted by Navarro.

These statements reinforce the hypothesis that the place operated for at least three years as an active site. “There were more than 200 of us,” the young man reportedly said, describing the number of people recruited at the site.

2024 Raid

On September 18, 2024, the GN raided the camp and arrested 10 people. Not a single shot was fired and two victims being held there, one already dead and one who was tied up was rescued. Narcotics and weapons were also found.

The National Guard detailed that the search of the site was conducted after receiving reports of loved ones at a ranch located in the community of La Estanzuela . The officers arrived at the site and heard gunshots coming from inside, prompting an operation.

There was no need for the security forces to use their weapons, even though the detainees were carrying their own.

The agents found four assault rifles, a pair of handguns, 21 magazines, a hand grenade, five tactical vests, four vehicles and a dozen ballistic plates.

It's worth noting that Espinosa Licon also said that the location where the 10 individuals were detained was set up for recruitment and training. The facility was "completely structured to train, recruit, and train people," he said.

"It is not credible that it was not known to the authorities of Jalisco," said Alejandro Gertz Manero, head of the FGR, about the Teuchitlán ranch of the CJNG used as a clandestine crematorium.

While the ranch is being reported as a training camp, many clothing items found belonged to women.

Victim's Belongings & Stories

The photos from the CJNG extermination camp include shoes, as well as letters and personal items, as well as hundreds of bone and dental remains and gunshot casings, all found by the group of searching mothers.

Around 400 pairs of shoes, mountains of clothing, and even suitcases belonging to the possible victims were listed by Jalisco authorities.

Details of letters and other items have begun to help not only track victim's identities but date the years of operation of the ranch. Like a love letter, allegedly written by Eduardo Lerma Nieto, a 20-year-old young man who disappeared in February 2024 in San Juan de los Lagos.

The letter read: “My love, if one day I don’t come back, I only ask that you remember how much I love you. And say: ‘my anger, tantrums and jealousy are gone.'” The note was found in a damaged notebook, among other personal belongings scattered around the place, and it also had his full name, date of birth May 2, 2003, and the area where he was from.

Sources NMas, Infobae, SDPNoticias, Infobae, El Pais

Special Thanks to Char

Categories: CJNG, Jalisco, mass graves