Mexican police found five severed heads on an abandoned taxi in the violent eastern state of Veracruz, authorities said Friday.
The heads were found Thursday night on the hood of the car in the city of Tlacotlalpan, along with a threatening message signed by the Jalisco New Generation drug cartel, according to a police report obtained by AFP.
The powerful drug cartel is locked in a turf war in the area with another cartel, Los Zetas, according to a prosecution source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The cartels are fighting for control of the region's lucrative fuel theft business, the source said.
State oil company Pemex says thefts from its pipelines have cost it $2.4 billion since 2010.
Violence fueled by Mexico's multi-billion-dollar cartels has surged in recent months, making 2017 the most murderous year on record, with 23,101 homicides between January and November.
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