Mexico is reeling in horror after six teen boys aged 14 to 18 were found slaughtered at a remote ranch in the central state of Zacatecas – with security forces locating just one survivor.
Mass abduction in Mexico
The surviving teenager, identified as Sergio Acevedo, 18, and the other young men were found at a farm in Malpaso, a neighborhood in the municipality of the Villanueva, during a flight surveillance operation on Wednesday morning.
The victims have been identified as: Diego RodrÃguez, 17; Jorge Ocon, 14 and his cousin Héctor Salcedo, 14; Gumaro Santacruz, 18; Oscar Rojas, 15; and Jesús RodrÃguez, 18.
Acevedo suffered a head and nose wound, and was rushed to Zacatecas General Hospital in the state capital, where he is being guarded by police, the Zacatecas Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday afternoon.
The horrifying discovery comes amid a shocking rise in mass abductions in Mexico – and just weeks after five college students were brutally murdered by cartel thugs, with one victim forced to decapitate his childhood friend.
Survivor Acevedo is stable and under the supervision of a psychologist, authorities said. He told his mother, Karla RodrÃguez, that ‘he had done nothing wrong,’ according to Mexican news outlet Milenio.
‘Yes, he recognizes me, but he has no idea of time right now, maybe it’s because of the beatings, I don’t know,’ RodrÃguez said.
‘He said that he is not up to bad things, he said: ‘I have not done anything wrong.’ I told him: ‘I know, my son, I know.’
She also denied comments made by Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who told reporters that Acevedo had been interviewed by investigators.
‘It’s not true, my son has not said anything, he is not well right now, he is sedated,’ she said, as quoted by El Zol de Zacatecas newspaper.
‘He has not declared anything nor has he spoken to anyone other than me.’
The youngsters, who attended school and are not believed to be involved in gangs, were hanging out with a group of girls when a group of armed men raided a ranch in the neighborhood of La Soledad on Sunday around 5am.
The teenagers were forced into vehicles, beaten and abandoned at a ranch nine miles away in the neighborhood of Malpaso.
