Mexico City, Mexico, Jul 14, 2017 / 05:01 am
The recent massacre of over two dozen prisoners in a central penitentiary in the state of Guerrero, Mexico may have been part of a ritual of the Santa Muerte cult.
On July 6, in what was thought to be a quarrel between inmates or an attempted riot, 28 prisoners were murdered inside the Las Cruces jail in Acapulco. Some of the dead were beheaded.
Citing documents from state and federal officials, the Mexican newspaper Reforma alleged that "the prisoners were executed in the middle of a ritual to Santa Muerte," lead by drug traffickers of the Independent Cartel of Acapulco.
While other federal sources, such as Roberto Alvarez Heredia, security spokesman for Guerrero state, have refused to comment on the cultic ritual aspect of the massacre, state authorities confirm that the killings began because of "constant dispute between rival groups inside the prison," Alvarez said in a statement. Officials have also confirmed the presence of explosives and firearms inside the prison.