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The Ascensión Does were 17 men and 1 woman whose bodies were dumped in 11 clandestine graves on the El Capricho Ranch, located in Puerto Palomas de Villa, Ascensión, Mexico. They were discovered after an anonymous caller reported seeing 5 men loading drug paraphernalia into a car and police subsequently arresting the 5 men. They were reported to have been buried over a period of 8 to 12 months and their deaths are likely tied to the perpetrators' criminal activities.
Case[]
On the 26th of November, 2010, Mexican army personnel received an anonymous tip that 5 men were loading different vehicles with drug paraphernalia on the El Capricho Ranch in Puerto Palomas de Villa, a town in the municipality of Ascensión, Chihuahua, and directly across the border from Columbus, New Mexico. The property was investigated, and the 5 men were arrested after a fragmentation grenade, more than 176 kilograms of marijuana, and other weapons were found in their belongings. Subsequent searches of the property led to the discovery of 11 clandestine graves on the 29th with 18 bodies being discovered in them.
Upon investigation of the remains, authorities concluded that the bodies had been buried over an 8 to 12-month period and that 17 of them were men, with a single woman amongst them. It is unclear if they all were killed at once and buried at different times or if they all were killed at different times. The state of Chihuahua is regarded as a hot spot for fighting between the Juárez and Sinaloa cartels as both attempt to rule the drug market in the area, thus it is likely the murders of the decedents are linked to the fighting and the drug trade.
Sources[]
- La Journada (Spanish)
- Chicago Tribune (Spanish)