A mob of people have lined up outside government offices, demanding to know if their loved ones are among the nearly 400 dead found in a clandestine crematorium that kept the bodies for up to four years.
The stench of decaying human remains led investigators to a nondescript building in Juarez, Mexico, just across the border from El Paso, Texas, where investigators counted nearly 383 complete corpses and 6 partial remains this week.
Even Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum weighed in on the gruesome discovery, promising to release more information Wednesday, after she meets with her security cabinet.
‘This is a special case. It seemed to be about one topic, but really there are several topics involved here,’ Sheinbaum told reporters Thursday.
State investigators believe the bodies came from different funeral homes across the sprawling Mexican city renowned for cartel violence and had been embalmed.
Family members looking to see if their loved ones are among the 383 bodies found in a crematorium questioned employees of the State Attorney’s office
A man demands to know more information about the 383 bodies found in a crematorium where loved ones presumed their relatives had been properly cremated
Gloria Criollo talks about the pain she feels from not knowing whether her father and mother are among the 383 bodies found at a crematorium
They were transferred to the Plenitud Crematorium. Instead of being cremated, the bodies were allowed to pile up since the end of the pandemic.
Located in the isolated outskirts of the city, whatever was happening at the facility went unnoticed for years, until an anonymous caller reported a bad small in recent days.
When authorities arrived, they found two decomposing bodies in a non-functional hearse in the walled compound, according to Mexican newspaper La Lista.
The rest of the bodies were in two buildings.
María de Jesús González stood in line outside the state prosecutors office with hundreds of other angry people who suspect they were given fake ashes by funeral homes.
‘I’m not even over grieving, and now this,’ Gonzalez told Juarez Digital while wiping away tears.
‘There needs to be justice.’
Dozens of families lined up this morning at the offices of the Northern Zone State Attorney General’s Office, seeking answers after the discovery of 383 bodies piled up at the Plenitud crematorium, which is under investigation for mishandling bodies in Juarez, Mexico
Her husband died seven months ago. At the time, she said her partner’s body was not picked up as scheduled, and that left her feeling suspicious of how his remains were being handled.
Plenitud owner Jose Luis Arellano Cuaron and an employee will be charged with improper disposal of bodies.
While more charges could be pending, the suspect could spend 17 years if convicted of the current charges.
‘It’s too little time. If it was 17 years person, that’s be okay, but it’s too little time,’ the grieving wife stated.
‘I don’t even know what to think anymore.
‘I just hope that if he’s there, that they take responsibility for the body.’
A handout photo released on June 30, 2025 by the Attorney General of Chihuahua state shows forensic experts working at a private crematorium where 383 bodies were found
Two people, including the crematorium’s owner and a worker have been charged so far. Owner Jose Luis Arellano Cuaron, 39, and a worker identified as Facundo M. R., 64, are facing up to 17 years in prison
It’s unclear if anyone else may face charges, however, at a press conference, officials revealed 16 of the bodies are so badly decomposed that they can’t tell what gender they are.
About 218 are believed to be men, and another 149 are deceased women.
‘The handling violates every single rule for the disposal of corpses,’ Chihuahua State Inspector Carlos Tarín told the media.
‘They were not kept in refrigerated chambers or under optimal storage conditions. Therefore, the facility was immediately secured, and an administrative procedure was initiated that could result in sanctions or the revocation of the health permit.’
While the owner appeared to have three licenses to operate at one point, it was unclear whether the operation was in good standing.
The governor of the state of Chihuahua told reporters that the crematorium had been run by ‘irresponsible and unscrupulous people who misused these licenses and permits.’
An abandoned hearse sits on the grounds of the crematorium raided by state officials in Juarez, Mexico
The state has opened up a process for anyone who believes their loved one may be there.
Families are asked to bring an official ID, as well as a description of what their loved one was last wearing and what funeral home they released their loved one’s body to.
However, many encountered setbacks the individual funeral homes who claimed not to have the paperwork showing they had handled the bodies of certain people.
