IACHR calls on Mexican State to increase efforts to investigate events and identify human remains found in Teuchitlán, Jalisco

March 27, 2025

Washington, DC—In light of the recent discovery of human remains by search groups on a property under State custody for six months, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) calls on the Mexican State to intensify its efforts to investigate the events, identify the victims, and hold those responsible accountable. While the IACHR acknowledges the measures announced by the Mexican president, it also underscores the critical work of search groups in this context.

The IACHR has been monitoring developments at the property known as Rancho Izaguirre, which has been under State custody since September 2024. At that time, Mexican authorities arrested 10 individuals, rescued two victims who were being deprived of their freedom at the property, recovered one body, and seized weapons, tactical equipment, and vehicles.

However, six months later, the search group known as Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco publicly reported that it had discovered clandestine graves, charred skeletal remains, and personal items at this location. These findings suggest that the property may have been used for criminal activities, including recruitment, training, murder, and enforced disappearances, which the National Human Rights Commission has confirmed. According to media statements made by search groups, these findings expose the shortcomings of the State's search efforts: although authorities secured the property in September 2024 and implemented searches using machinery and canine units, it was the search collectives that uncovered the clandestine graves. In response, the State observed that judicial investigations will determine the origin of the materials found at Rancho Izaguirre, with support from forensic scientists, and ascertain how the property was used.

The IACHR underscores that although search groups have the right to seek their missing relatives, this does not absolve the State of its duty to conduct investigations and searches as part of its human rights obligations.

The IACHR has noted that, following the discovery, the Jalisco State Prosecutor's Office recovered additional items from Rancho Izaguirre, including bullet casings, clothing, shoes, identification documents, watches, and handwritten notes belonging to both men and women. The evidence points to the occurrence of forced recruitment, training, forced labor, and enforced disappearances, among other grave crimes. The discoveries confirm the extreme violence being perpetrated by organized crime in the area, which has reached a level that is incompatible with human dignity. It is alarming that a site of this type could remain operational for such a prolonged period without intervention by authorities. In response, the State noted that an investigative hypothesis could only be arrived at based on the evidence contained in the investigation file.

The Mexican State must take immediate action to thoroughly investigate these events, punish those responsible, and ensure that the victims and their families receive adequate, timely reparations. The IACHR acknowledges that two arrest warrants have been issued for people with close ties to Ranch Izaguirre. It also emphasizes that families have the right to know the fate or whereabouts of their loved ones, and Mexican society has the right to the truth about the events that unfolded at Rancho Izaguirre. As the IACHR has repeatedly stressed, in cases involving human rights violations committed in the context of organized crime, appropriate criminal charges must be brought. Investigations must be carried out into any possible direct or indirect involvement of State agents, including overlooking events.

It is the Mexican State's duty to identify the human remains found at Rancho Izaguirre by conducting a scientifically rigorous and evidence-based investigation. The restitution of human remains and any personal items that can be associated with specific individuals must be handled with dignity, respect, and sensitivity to the grief of the families.

The IACHR recognizes that on March 17, 2025, President Sheinbaum announced a series of legislative reforms and administrative measures to strengthen the work of the National Search Commission, the Executive Commission for Victim Assistance, and the National Human Identification Center. The State reported progress in establishing the Unique Population Registry Code (CURP) as the sole identity verification system, creating a National Unified Forensic Database, a National Human Identification Platform, and supporting the National Human Identification Center through advanced technologies, including genetic identification. The IACHR commends the State for publicly recognizing the need to provide comprehensive care to victims and committing to developing a timeline that addresses the gap between the property's seizure and the discoveries made by the search group.

The IACHR has been monitoring mass disappearances in Mexico for over 25 years. In this context, it welcomes the State's announcement of improved coordination across all levels of government to strengthen search efforts and combat the crime of enforced disappearance in Mexico. In line with international human rights standards, the IACHR stresses that the State must guarantee that victims and the families of the disappeared can participate in the design of these measures.

Lastly, the IACHR reiterates its recognition of and solidarity with the invaluable work of search groups and families in Mexico trying to find people who have been forcibly disappeared. The State must guarantee the safety and freedom of these groups and individuals as they go about this work. Furthermore, the IACHR underscores the importance of public acknowledgment by authorities of the human rights defense work carried out by these groups, thereby promoting their broader social recognition. It also deems it essential that any investigations into the Rancho Izaguirre case are conducted in a way that prevents revictimization.

The IACHR is a principal and autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), whose mandate stems from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has the mandate to promote the observance and defense of human rights in the region and acts as an advisory body to the OAS on the matter. The IACHR is made up of seven independent members who are elected by the OAS General Assembly in their personal capacity, and do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 061/25

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