Cartel hangs nine bodies off bridge in central Mexico as part of intensifying turf war

Gangs often use brutal, sadistic violence to protect their criminal interests.
Police guard a Cartel crime scene in Baja, 2019

Nine bodies were found this week hanging off a bridge in a central Mexican city, among the most recent incidents in what authorities describe as an escalating turf war disputes between members of Mexican drug cartels.

A tenth body was also found near the grisly display, the New York Post reports. Many of dead reportedly lived in the small town of Cuauhtémoc, in the state of Zacatecas.

Cartel activity is reportedly heavy in the area, with one resident telling local media that people "have to go to sleep early and every night there is noise, motorcycles, screaming, things like that."

The cartel is infamous for its sadistic violent tactics used to intimidate rivals, police and civilians. 

Mexican authorities have struggled for years to get the crime syndicate under control, The enterprise has corrupted significant swaths of Mexican government at every level, making enforcement at times extremely difficult.