Six teenagers have been found dead and one badly injured as police search for seven missing teens in Mexico.
The shocking discovery occurred over the past weekend, with their bodies found in a remote region of Zacatecas.
While authorities have not confirmed their identities, it is believed to be the same group who were abducted earlier this month, with the shocking crime sparking protests in the region.
The boys, aged 14-18, were abducted earlier this month while enjoying time with their families at Zacatecas Ranch when they were taken.
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Spanish newspaper El País reported that armed men broke into property at 4am, taking the teens during the attack.
Among the victims was a fourteen-year-old boy, Jorge Alberto Ocon Acevedo, who had been wearing a gold jacket, blue pants, and black sneakers when he disappeared.
In the hours that followed, officials launched a huge search for the missing teenagers, which involved the National Guard and 300 soldiers from Mexico's Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) as well as local police officers.
Tragically though, there has been no sighting of the boys since their disappearance.
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Frustrated, the victims’ families later protested by blocking the Zacatecas-Malpaso highway and pleaded with authorities to find their missing sons alive.
At the roadblock, one distraught mom told the paper: “We want them alive. I am not part of the government. If I were, I’d be in a helicopter.”
Sadly, hopes of finding them have faded after the shocking discovery over the weekend.
Following the extensive manhunt, authorities made the grim discovery that the lone survivor was also suffering from serious head injuries.
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Although he is said to be in a stable condition, authorities will not confirm his identity or that of the other six deceased teenagers.
It’s not the first time there has been intense violence in the region, with cartels fighting for control of the area as well as drug trafficking routes.
Official data estimates that there are roughly 3650 people missing in Zacatecas, with over 500 murders in the region during the first eight months of this year.
Earlier this year, five young men were killed in the state of Jalisco – with their brutal murder captured on camera.
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It’s thought that a drug cartel was behind the horrific crime, during which the students had been duct taped, beaten and then beheaded.
The victims were aged between 19-22, with the group of friends reportedly lured to their deaths by the promise of jobs.
Topics: Crime, World News