Two individuals have been arrested after authorities uncovered nearly 400 embalmed bodies piled inside a neglected crematorium near the U.S.-Mexico border.
The shocking discovery was made in Ciudad Juarez, in northern Mexico, where police found 383 full bodies and six sets of partial remains stacked inside a warehouse operated by a private cremation business. None of the bodies had been cremated, despite assurances to grieving families that their loved ones would be.
According to forensic officials, of the recovered remains, 218 were identified as male, 149 as female, and 16 remain undetermined. Authorities believe some of the bodies may have been left in the facility for up to two years.
Eloy Garcia, communications coordinator for the Chihuahua state prosecutor’s office, told AFP that the bodies were “deposited irregularly” and had simply been “thrown one on top of the other, indiscriminately, on the floor.”
The facility in question, operated under the name “Plenitud,” reportedly provided cremation services to six or seven local funeral homes. However, officials now believe families were given fake ashes while their loved ones’ embalmed bodies were abandoned in the warehouse.
Some of the corpses bore tags from hospitals, including personal information such as names and social security numbers, according to Javier Sánchez Herrera, Director of Forensic Services and Sciences.
Two men — José Luis Arellano Cuaron, the crematorium’s owner, and an employee identified as Facundo M.R. — have been arrested. They are facing charges related to the improper handling and disposal of human remains, including burial violations, exhumation without authorization, and showing disrespect to corpses. Both are currently being held in pretrial detention ahead of a hearing scheduled for July 4.
State Attorney General César Jáuregui Moreno stated that the court had approved preventive detention to ensure accountability for the emotional and financial harm inflicted on the families. “This ensures they not only face justice for the economic damage caused, but also for the re-traumatization of families who believed they had already said goodbye to their loved ones,” he said.
The Attorney General’s office has also met with the victims’ families, pledging comprehensive support as they make decisions about the future handling of their relatives’ remains.
“We will pursue the maximum penalty available under the law,” Jáuregui Moreno added. “Our goal is to conduct a thorough investigation while minimizing the additional suffering for these families.”
