Mexico City: Families of dozens of missing Mexicans have launched a massive search in the forests south of Mexico City, fearing that more than 100 people could be buried in a remote wooded area.

The operation is taking place in Ajusco, a volcanic hill region, where activists, authorities, and forensic teams are combing the terrain for human remains. Local groups estimate that between 130 and 150 bodies could be hidden in the area.

Mothers wielding shovels and pitchforks dug into the ground, while others cleared dense vegetation with machetes and heavy machinery, AFP reporters observed.

Among those searching was Araceli Olmedo Cruz, 40, who is looking for her son Benjamin, missing since April 2024. “Since it’s a secluded area, it makes it easier for people to come and dump the bodies,” she said.

The search comes amid a nationwide crisis. Mexico currently has over 127,000 missing persons, with many disappearances linked to a surge in drug-related violence following a major government crackdown on crime groups in December 2006.

Bodies have surfaced across the country in past years. In Bartolina, Tamaulipas, authorities unearthed around 500 kilograms of human remains between 2017 and 2021.

Arnulfo Garcia, searching for his mother Placida, said he had exhausted urban searches and hoped that joining the Ajusco operation would help authorities locate her. “We had searched in the city, put up posters,” he said.

The search involves roughly 430 people and is expected to continue until October 31, as families cling to hope of finding their loved ones and uncovering what lies hidden in the forest.