383 Corpses Found Piled in Mexican Crematorium, Two Arrested in Shocking Negligence Case

Authorities in northern Mexico have arrested two individuals after uncovering 383 decomposing corpses stacked inside a private crematorium in Ciudad Juárez, near the U.S. border. The Chihuahua state prosecutor’s office confirmed the discovery on Tuesday, calling it a horrific case of gross negligence.

Investigators said the bodies had been embalmed and deposited irregularly throughout various rooms in the crematorium, rather than cremated as required. "They were just thrown like that, indiscriminately, one on top of the other, on the floor," said Eloy Garcia, communications coordinator for the prosecutor’s office.

The facility is located roughly 10 miles south of El Paso, Texas. Authorities believe some of the corpses may have been stored for as long as two years. In many cases, grieving families were reportedly given ashes that did not belong to their loved ones — in fact, they were given other materials entirely.

The deceased were found without any apparent order or documentation. Forensic officials reported that of the 383 remains, 218 were identified as male, 149 female, and 16 undetermined.

State Attorney General César Jáuregui Moreno assured the public that the investigation would be thorough and transparent. “We will seek the highest possible penalty for those responsible,” he said. “Our goal is to reduce the re-victimization of families already living through unimaginable grief.”

Officials say the owners of the crematorium accepted more bodies than they could legally or logistically process. Garcia stressed that all funeral businesses understand their operational limits. “You can't take in more than you can process,” he said, blaming the incident on blatant “carelessness and irresponsibility.”

The discovery comes amid a broader crisis in Mexico’s forensic infrastructure. Years of cartel violence and high homicide rates have overwhelmed morgues and investigative teams, many of which operate under severe budgetary constraints and staff shortages.

The news emerged just one day after a separate gruesome scene unfolded in Sinaloa state, where 20 mutilated bodies were discovered — several of them decapitated. Four headless bodies were dumped roadside, while 16 more were found in an abandoned vehicle. Investigators also found five severed human heads inside a bag at the scene, which is believed to be linked to infighting among Sinaloa drug cartel factions.

Authorities have not yet confirmed whether any of the Ciudad Juárez crematorium corpses were related to criminal violence, but identification efforts are underway.