A gruesome discovery in Mexico's western city of Culiacan.
In the early hours of Tuesday, Sinaloa state authorities found the dismembered bodies of seven men stuffed into 13 garbage bags and dumped in a residential area.
The victims were found dressed in police uniforms but officials confirmed none of the bodies belonged to serving officers.
In what appears to be a crime related to drug gangs, the corpses were dumped under a message believed to be from a local drug cartel.
The banner accused state authorities of protecting members of the local Sinaloa Gang.
The victims' bodies have been moved to forensic headquarters for identification.
A wave of killings has claimed about 55,000 lives since Mexican President Felipe Calderon took office in December 2006, and launched a military-led crackdown against drug cartels.
Travis Brecher, Reuters
