Five bodies burned beyond recognition were found in a sport utility vehicle in the Arizona desert Saturday in what is thought to be the result of cartel violence. “Given all these indicators, you don’t have to be a homicide detective to add up all this information,” Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu told reporters. The vehicle was found in the Vekol Valley, a desolate area frequented by smugglers of drugs and immigrants crossing back and forth across the border between Mexico and Arizona. “Clearly these people were murdered, but we don’t know the manner of death,” Babeu said. Pinal County deputies last year were reportedly involved in more than 350 pursuits, a high percentage of which involved traffickers, according to Babeu.
