5 Arizona Bodies Linked to Mexican Cartels

The violence of Mexican drug wars continues to seep into America. The bodies of five people burned beyond recognition in an abandoned SUV in Arizona are believed to be victims of a Mexican drug cartel, say law enforcement authorities. They were discovered in Vekol Valley, some 70 miles north of the border, an area frequented by Mexican drug runners, reports ABC News.

"The vehicle was stopped in an open area. It did not crash into something. Clearly, whoever murdered these people did it intentionally," said Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu. "They brought them there either alive or dead, and torched the vehicle in an effort to conceal evidence." Babeu believes the murders were "either punishment of criminals who tried to steal from the cartels, or some competing interest." (More Mexican drug cartels stories.)