17 naked, mutilated bodies found in central Mexico

JALISCO, Mexico (AP) - The dismembered bodies of 17 men were found on Sunday on a farm in central Mexico, in an area disputed by violent drug cartels, officials said.

Jalisco state prosecutor Tomas Coronado Olmos said the bodies were dumped by a highway in the town of Tizapan el Alto near the border between Jalisco and Michoacan states. Authorities discovered the bodies while Mexicans celebrated Independence Day.

Mr Coronado Olmos didn't reveal the identities of the slain but said the bodies were naked, mutilated and stacked with chains around their necks.

Mexico's drug cartels have regularly left behind such grisly remains as they battle for control of key trafficking routes and markets.