Remains of 34 found at clandestine sites in western Mexico

MEXICO CITY – Mexican authorities have discovered the remains of at least 34 people at two separate properties in the western state of Jalisco.

State Attorney General Gerardo Octavio Solis said Saturday that two of the bodies have already been identified, and that excavations continue.

In four raids, officials found stolen vehicles as well as tactical equipment. At one location, forensic teams can only work at most 30 minutes at a time due to caustic substances, Solis said.

The state is home to Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of the most powerful and brazen criminal groups in Mexico. The cartel once shot down a Mexican military helicopter with a rocket launcher.

Some 40,000 people have gone missing since the start of Mexico's drug war in 2006, and clandestine mass graves dot the countryside.