Ten fresh corpses were discovered across the central Mexican state of Zacatecas on Saturday, according to local authorities, including five who were discovered hanging from a highway bridge.

The bodies, half-naked and showing signs of torture, were found at three separate locations in the state. Some of them had pieces of cardboard attached to them with messages attributed to an organized crime group. The victims included a former mayor and two municipal officials.

Federal and state security forces have been deployed and an investigation is underway. No arrests have been announced at the time of writing.

Zacatecas has long been one of Mexico’s most violent states, as rival drug cartels battle for control of trafficking routes linking the country’s Pacific coast with the US border. The latest killings come just days after federal and state authorities reported a sharp decline in homicides and said security conditions had improved.

Public displays of bodies, including victims hanged from bridges, have long been used by Mexican criminal groups to intimidate rivals and send messages. The latest killings echo a series of similar attacks in recent years.

In June 2025, authorities found 20 bodies in the northwestern state of Sinaloa, including four decapitated victims hanging from a bridge. Their heads were discovered nearby, in a plastic bag.

Mexico is co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside the US and Canada. Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Mexico City staged 13 matches during the tournament, with the country’s final fixture, Mexico’s Round of 16 defeat to England, played in the capital on July 6. The tournament concludes on Sunday with the final between Spain and Argentina in New Jersey.