42 Skulls and Other Remains Found in Raid on Drug Lair

A raid, conducted by hundreds of police officers last week in the Morelos neighborhood in north-central Mexico City revealed not only the expected drugs and weapons, but also an altar in the lair said to belong to the Union de Tepito cartel.

42 complete human skulls were said to be recovered, along with an additional 40 jaw bones and 31 "long bones," presumed to be either leg or arm bones.  Also found was a fetus in a jar.

Authorities are beginning to run DNA tests on the remains found so that they can then be compared to the database of missing persons.  At this time, police have no answer as to where the bones came from, whether from victims of the cartel, the black market, or another source.

Also found during the raid were two methamphetamine labs, 2.5 tons of marijuana, 20 guns, five grenades, and a rocket launcher.

While most sources seem to merely refer to the altar as being of an "Afro-Caribbean religion," there is no denying that the altar depicted appears to belong to practitioners of palo mayombe as detailed in Carl Raschke's Painted Black.