Dozens of skulls and bones found in drug cartel's altar in Mexico City

During the raid in a building in Tepito , one of Mexico City 's most dangerous neighborhoods, authorities found over 42 skulls , dozens of bones , and a fetus in a glass jar as part of an altar in the headquarters of alleged members of the Unión Tepito cartel in Mexico City.

A photo distributed by the Mexico City Attorney General’s Office showed skulls clustered around the altar , a cross was behind it and there was also a horned wooden face mask.

Next to the altar , there was a painted wall full of symbols that included a pyramid with a hand on top, celestial bodies, and a goat with a hexagram between its horns.

After the raid , a spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s Office said authorities were still investigating the origin of the skulls .

Investigators also discovered several knives, 40 jawbones , a fetus , and 30 leg or arm bones at the site. It was not yet clear whether the fetus was human, the spokeswoman said.

The Tepito neighborhood is known for being the center of illicit commercial activity and crime .

Nevertheless, after the arrest, a judge freed the majority of the suspects , a move that was seen as a setback for the government, which has been struggling to halt cartel violence .

Claudia Sheinbaum

, Mexico City's mayor, announced that experts are obtaining DNA from 42 skulls , 40 jawbones , a fetus , and 30 leg or arm bones found in the witchcraft altar in Tepito , which will be compared to missing person s in Mexico City and other states.

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