Official says 35 bodies found in Mexican city

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The bodies of 35 people with suspected links to organized crime were dumped under a highway bridge in eastern Mexico on Tuesday, in a major escalation of violence in the once quiet port city of Veracruz.

The bodies, reportedly of both men and women, were discovered near a shopping center in Boca del Rio, along Mexico's Gulf coast, state prosecutor Reynaldo Escobar told the Milenio TV station.

"These were people involved in organized crime," Escobar said of the victims. Seven had been identified hours after their discovery, all with criminal records, he added. Some bodies were reportedly pulled from trucks and put on the pavement before the drivers fled.

"We have never seen a situation like this before."

Violence between rival drug cartels has been heating up in the coffee- and sugar-growing state of Veracruz and local media reported the bodies -- some found with their hands tied showing signs of torture -- were from the feared Zetas crime gang.http://news.yahoo.com/official-says-35-bodies-found-mexican-city-02...