Mexican police find 5 decapitated men in drug cartel-plagued state of Sinaloa

Western Mexico: 5 decapitated men found

CULIACAN, Mexico — Mexican authorities have found the decapitated bodies of five men in a western state known for drug-gang violence.

Sinaloa state prosecutors spokesman Martin Gastelum says the bodies and heads were found Tuesday in front of a primary school in the town of Escuinapa.

He says two of the heads were missing their ears and two more had a “Z” carved on their backs in an apparent reference to the Zetas drug gang.

The Zetas have been involved in some of the bloodiest confrontations in a drug war that has cost more than 15,000 lives in Mexico in three years.

Sinaloa is the birthplace of the leaders of several drug cartels. The Zetas are based is the border state of Tamaulipas across from Texas.