Authorities reported that the bodies of five men were dumped on the side of a highway in the state of Veracruz, off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
The Veracruz Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that the bodies were discovered Sunday on the side of the highway between the towns of La Tinaja and Cosoleacaque.
Prosecutors said the victims were shot in the head. Photographs from the local press showed the corpses on a strip of asphalt, and at least one of the men seemed to have his hands tied.
Veracruz has been an area of conflict between drug gangs for the last few years. According to Mexican government statistics released this month, homicides more than doubled in the state from 2015 to 2016.