Mexican 'narcos' fed bodies of rivals to Bengal tigers

The Attorney General's Office of the Mexican state of Guerrero carried out an operation on Thursday in the municipality of Quechultenango, seizing marijuana, seven cars and several properties from a local criminal gang known as Los Ardillos.

FGE, SEDENA y GN en operativo conjunto en #Quechultenango aseguraron a un masculino, vehículos con reporte de robo, droga, arma, cartuchos y animales exóticos.https://t.co/Pp0AmLOMlC pic.twitter.com/70lIRWQ9Ej

— FGE Guerrero (@FGEGuerrero) February 18, 2022

Los Adrillos have been active in the drug trade in the Mexican state of Guerrero for over 20 years -- but as the heroin trade has begun drying up, the gang has expanded its activities to include extortion and kidnapping.

But the raid also produced one particularly gruesome discovery: three live Bengal tigers that were used to devour the bodies of criminal rivals and of kidnapping victims – apparently in an attempt to leave no trace.  

Ultimately, the tigers were handed over to an animal protection group, while the weapons, drugs and vehicles were confiscated by the state, the Attorney General's Office said in a statement. 

According to Mexican news outlet La Opinion, Quechultenango is considered the stronghold of Los Ardillos and is the base from which the gang maintains control of several municipalities throughout the state of Guerrero.  

In September, Mexican authorities raided the hideout of a criminal group based in the Mexican state of Sonora and found a Bengal tiger on the property. While conducting the raid, police officers were chased away by the feline, which was being kept in chains inside the home, Infobae reported.

Mexican drug traffickers’ affinity for keeping exotic animals seems to mirror the habits of Colombian drug lords such as Pablo Escobar, who during the 1980s set up a zoo at his Napoles property, featuring elephants, giraffes, rhinos, antelopes, kangaroos and a variety of exotic birds.

In recent years, Colombian authorities have had to deal with a large number of hippopotamuses, which were brought to the South American country by Escobar. According to a study endorsed by the Colombian Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, the descendants of the animals acquired by Escobar represent “a threat to the preservation of ecosystems and to Colombia’s biodiversity.”