Mexico faces forensic crisis with thousands of unidentified bodies

Mexico is facing a significant forensic and humanitarian crisis, according to data from INEGI. In 2025, forensic services received 97,920 corpses, a 2.1 percent decrease from the previous year. Despite this, a massive backlog of unidentified remains persists, with 10,770 bodies stored in morgues and amphitheaters at the close of the year. Approximately 26.3 percent of unidentified bodies were buried in individual mass graves in public cemeteries.

President Claudia Sheinbaum reported in her second government report that the localization of persons increased by 16.6 percent, with 284 successful localizations (198 alive and 86 deceased). To address the crisis, the government has increased funding for search commissions and expanded the hiring of forensic experts, including anthropologists and odontologists. Over 643.5 million pesos have been allocated to strengthen local search commissions, with significant portions dedicated to constructing human identification centers.

On the ground, search collectives continue to find remains. In Coahuila, the Grupo Vida Laguna recently discovered three new clandestine graves in a desert area, recovering fragmented and charred bone remains. Meanwhile, in Baja California Sur, authorities identified the remains of Dominga María Velázquez Mendoza, who had been missing since June; forensic analysis determined her death was of natural causes with no signs of violence.