Nearly 1,900 vanished in and around Guadalajara. Now the World Cup arrives

"The highway from the Guadalajara city airport to downtown is newly paved and the city's famous roundabout has gotten a $4-million facelift. The city is abuzz with renovation projects as Guadalajara prepares to host four World Cup soccer matches in June. But there's one thing the 3 million fans expected to flock to the city won't see - the sites where hundreds of bodies have been found in clandestine graves dug by Mexico's notorious New Generation Jalisco Cartel."

"One set of remains was that of a 17-year-old high school student who had gone out to sell his motorcycle to help his unemployed uncle. He disappeared. When his uncle began searching, he disappeared as well. At another site, the bones of a 34-year-old cellphone repairman were found. He was a father of two who'd simply ventured out to shop for used tennis shoes."

"According to statistics compiled by the state of Jalisco, between 2018 and March of this year, 1,907 bodies were found in Guadalajara and surrounding cities. Families searching for their loved ones sarcastically responded with, "Zapopan, the heart of clandestine graves." Since January of 2025 alone, search groups and authorities have discovered 58 graves with 226 sets of remains inside city limits."

"Five graves were located within three miles of Akron Stadium. Three graves with 15 bodies were found within a mile of the city's iconic La Minerva roundabout, a huge traffic circle featuring fountains, greenery and a towering statue of the Roman goddess Minerva. Others were found not far from Chapultepec Street, a p"

Guadalajara is renovating roads and public areas as it prepares to host four World Cup matches in June, including a newly paved airport route and a $4-million facelift to a famous roundabout. Despite the international spotlight, many residents expect to see no improvement in safety, because clandestine graves continue to be found along major routes to Akron Stadium. Remains have been identified from cases involving a 17-year-old student who disappeared after trying to sell a motorcycle and a 34-year-old father who vanished after going to shop for used tennis shoes. State statistics report 1,907 bodies found in Guadalajara and nearby cities between 2018 and March of the current year. Since January 2025, 58 graves with 226 sets of remains have been discovered within city limits, including graves near Akron Stadium and close to La Minerva roundabout.

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