Scientists in Mexico are dressing dead pigs in clothes before disposing of their bodies. The bodies are wrapped in packing tape, while others are chopped and stuffed into plastic bags or wrapped in blankets. The bodies are then covered in lime or burned. Some of them are buried alone and others in groups.
The scientists then watch. The pigs are proxies for humans to help find the large number of people who have gone missing in Mexico after decades of drug cartel violence.
Government scientists are using satellites, geophysical and biological mapping techniques and the pigs to help discover some of the 130,000 missing bodies. Families, not authorities, often lead searches, guided by witness tips and crude tools to find clandestine graves, over 6,000 of which have been discovered since 2007. Jalisco, home to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, has the highest number of disappearances.
In response, a 2023 mapping project was launched in Jalisco by Mexican and UK universities alongside the Jalisco Search Commission. Using buried pigs to simulate human remains, researchers test advanced tools like hyperspectral cameras, thermal drones, and laser scanners to detect chemical and ecological signs of decomposition. While promising, experts stress technology is no replacement for witness accounts, which solve 90% of cases.
Families contribute vital on-ground knowledge, such as recognising graves by plant growth. Some relatives, like Maribel Cedeno and Hector Flores, have become skilled searchers themselves, though many remain sceptical of the effectiveness and accessibility of high-tech methods.
{{/usCountry}}Families contribute vital on-ground knowledge, such as recognising graves by plant growth. Some relatives, like Maribel Cedeno and Hector Flores, have become skilled searchers themselves, though many remain sceptical of the effectiveness and accessibility of high-tech methods.
{{/usCountry}}Despite challenges, scientists and families push forward, driven by urgency and hope. As forensic expert Derek Congram says, progress requires repeated attempts: “fail, fail again and keep trying.”