Mother and Son Killed While Seeking Missing Relatives

A Mexican mother belonging to a group searching for missing relatives was murdered along with her son in a western region plagued by criminal violence, authorities said Thursday.

Maria del Carmen Morales was shot late Wednesday in Jalisco state, the prosecutor's office said, adding that initial indications were that the crime was unrelated to her activism.

Morales, aged 43, was part of the Guerreros Buscadores group, which discovery of bones, shoes and clothing at a suspected Jalisco drug cartel training camp in March shocked Mexico. The cartel is led by Nemesio Rubén "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes , for whom the U.S. authorities have extended an offer $15 million reward for information leading to his capture.

The horrific discovery brought attention to the forced recruitment and other methods used by criminal organizations in a nation where over 120,000 individuals remain missing.

When Morales stepped forward to protect her 26-year-old son, Daniel Ramirez, who was being assaulted by two individuals on a motorcycle, she lost her life. prosecutor's office said .

One of her other children disappeared last year.

The prosecution stated that up until now, they have found no indications connecting Morales's killing to her efforts in searching for missing individuals.

In a message shared on social media , Guerreros Buscadores demanded an "urgent and comprehensive inquiry."

Groups created by families of victims who criticize the government’s lack of action put themselves at risk as they search for remains in unauthorized burial sites, frequently operating in regions controlled by armed members of drug cartels.

Besides the finding at the ranch, numerous other mass graves have been uncovered in Mexico over the past few months. In January alone, at least 56 bodies were discovered In anonymous mass graves in northern Mexico, close to the U.S. border.

A mass grave In December, in a suburb of Guadalajara, multiple bags containing dismembered body parts were found, which belonged to 24 individuals, according to officials. In the same month, Mexican authorities reported recovering a total of 31 bodies From pits in Chiapas, a region beset by drug cartels' brutality.

Groups looking for individuals who are lost Some cartels and organized criminal groups occasionally utilize ovens for the purpose of cremating their victims, thereby leaving no remains behind.