Mexico ( 15 Bodies Found in Western Mexico )

MEXICO CITY – A clandestine grave near the western Mexican metropolis of Guadalajara holds at least 15 bodies, the Jalisco state Attorney General’s Office said Friday.

The grave lies 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the intersection of two highways in the Guadalajara suburb of Tlajomulco de Zuñiga, the AG’s office said in a statement.

Authorities found the clandestine burial site thanks to information that emerged following the arrest of Geronimo Ibarra Alcaraz, 23, a suspected drug trafficker.

The bodies were taken to the state medical examiner’s office in Guadalajara, Jalisco’s capital, for autopsies and identification.

The arrest of Ibarra also led police to a safe house in Tlajomulco where they found 1.5 tons of marijuana, 39 kilos of methamphetamine, weapons and bulletproof vests, the AG’s office said.

Ibarra is being held without bail while federal authorities seek to determine which criminal outfit he worked for, the statement said.

The Jalisco Nueva Generacion cartel is currently battling a group known as La Resistencia for control of the illegal drug trade in the western state, authorities say.

La Resistencia is thought to be allied with Los Zetas, the most violent of Mexico’s cartels