The horrifying discovery of what appears to be a cartel “extermination camp” in Mexico has once again laid bare the utter collapse of law and order under the country’s left-wing government. At a ranch in Jalisco, authorities uncovered cremation ovens, bone fragments, piles of discarded shoes, and even children’s toys—chilling evidence that the New Generation Jalisco Cartel has been operating a mass murder site right under the noses of Mexican authorities.
Police were tipped off about the site last September, but their initial raid turned up nothing—despite the fact that two hostages were found and ten cartel members were arrested. Now, with fresh evidence emerging, human rights groups and Mexico’s Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero are raising the obvious question: was this a massive government cover-up? Gertz Manero openly questioned how local officials could have been unaware of an operation of this scale, a sentiment echoed by families of Mexico’s “disappeared,” who fear the remains belong to their missing loved ones.
Forensic experts are sifting through hundreds of personal items, including nearly 100 shell casings and disturbing remnants of burned bodies. The site, which officials now believe was a cartel training camp, has left grieving families searching through photographs, trying to identify the shoes, clothing, and items that may have belonged to their murdered relatives. It’s estimated that at least 120,000 people have vanished in Mexico’s cartel wars, a crisis that has escalated as drug lords act with impunity, aided by a weak and compromised government.
This discovery should be setting off alarm bells for the Biden administration, which continues to ignore the cartel threat even as these violent groups expand their operations into the United States. The Jalisco cartel is one of the biggest players in the deadly fentanyl trade, which is fueling America’s opioid crisis and killing thousands of Americans each year. Meanwhile, Mexico’s government, rather than cracking down on the cartels, appears more focused on covering up their crimes.
Under President Trump, the administration took an aggressive stance against cartel violence, even designating these groups as terrorist organizations. But under Biden, it’s been business as usual, with weak border policies and a refusal to confront the Mexican government’s complicity.
This “extermination camp” in Jalisco is just the latest proof that Mexico’s crime crisis is spiraling out of control. If Mexico’s own officials won’t take action, it’s time for the U.S. to do what’s necessary to protect Americans from the cartel threat—before it’s too late.
