Scientists and Mexican authorities are using dead pigs to try to evaluate the effect of decomposition of human bodies in ordinary ditches and discovering the places where cartels bury the victims.
More than 130 thousand missing people In Mexico and scientists and authorities are resorting to innovative methods, including the use of dead pigs, to try to locate the bodies buried in ordinary drug cartels. This scientific project, centered on the state of Jalisco, the most affected in the country, aims to respond to one of the greatest humanitarian crises from Latin America.
Pigs, chosen by their biological resemblance to humans, are used as substitutes for decomposition experiences. Dresses, burned, wrapped in bags or rugs, buried individually or in groups, these animal corpses allow simulate the various methods used to hide bodies. Scientists monitor soil and vegetation changes, and use drones with hyperespectral chambers, thermal sensors and laser scanners to detect chemical signals such as phosphorus or changes in local flora.
“What we learn It has to be applied immediatelyBecause there is urgency, ”says José Luis Silván, project coordinator and researcher at CentroGeo, a federal institute specializing in geospatial information. In collaboration with Mexican and British universities, and the Jalisco Search Commission, the project started in 2023 to map possible clandestine -burly locations.
Between 2007 and 2024, about 6000 ordinary ditchesbut tens of thousands of remains continue to identify. Most discoveries are still made by relatives of the victims, who, without state support, travel by iron -dominated zones with iron rods and smell as a guide.
Research is not limited to technology. The experience and observations of families have been fundamental. Many can identify suspicious areas by vegetation or altered soil. “Knowledge flows both ways,” says Silván to.
Despite technological investment, experts recognize that scientific advances do not yet replace human testimony. “90% of the search are resolved with a good witness and a shovel”Warns Derek Congam, forensic anthropologist Canadian involved in the project.
Long -term success will depend on political will and financial capacity to apply these methods across the country. Still, for scientists and family, each attempt counts. “Fail, try again, continue to try. This is what we have left, ”concludes Congram.
