Coatzacoalcos (Mexico): The battered bodies of six men were found in an abandoned car in the violence-ridden Mexican state of Veracruz, authorities said.
Prosecutors showed AFP photos of the victims, who were found on Tuesday with their hands tied behind their backs, bearing the signs of brutal beatings.
"There are very strong indications" that organized crime groups," played a role in the crime, state prosecutor general Luis Angel Bravo Contreras said.
The vehicle was located in the town Puente Galera, some 200 kilometers from the city Veracruz, one of Mexico's most important ports, authorities said in a statement.
The killings prompted student protests in cities across Veracruz demanding better security.
Last week, the dismembered bodies of four university students were found inside black bags in Veracruz.
The state is among the most violent in Mexico, with the Zetas and Jalisco New Generation drug cartels waging a brutal battle for control of illegal drug routes to the United States.
