Mexico’s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum, faces growing scrutiny as investigators uncover evidence that a former cartel training site may have been a killing ground. In Jalisco, volunteers found charred bones and a septic pit full of teeth at the Izaguirre ranch, a location tied to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in 2026 investigations across the country.

Sheinbaum has pledged to locate every vanished citizen, but the state registry now lists more than 133,000 missing people, a figure that has doubled since 2016. A recent audit split the data into three groups: unverified cases, presumed living, and 43,600 individuals still unaccounted for, according to security officials in the northern states, including Jalisco.

The audit revealed chaos: no standardized methodology and a fragmented database that made searches difficult. While 22,000 missing persons were recently found alive, human rights groups argue that more than 72,100 bodies linger unclaimed in morgues, suggesting the real scale of disappearances far exceeds official numbers and undermine public trust in law enforcement and threaten economic stability in affected regions for investors.

Sheinbaum’s response has sparked debate. Critics say the audit lacks transparency, while supporters claim it streamlines investigations. The United Nations’ latest report condemned Mexico for widespread enforced disappearances, prompting her to dismiss the findings as politically motivated. The government’s next steps will determine whether policy changes translate into tangible recoveries for regional stability and justice.