Horror in Mexico as seven men are executed and dumped on chairs in city centre with chilling signs pinned to their chests with ice picks

Shocking scene of seven bodies near roundabout in Uruapan, Michoacan

Placard on one of the bodies said: 'Warning! This will happen to thieves'

Bodies of men who were aged 15 to 40 had been placed on plastic chairs



These shocking photos show how the bodies of seven men were found on plastic chairs in Mexico having been shot in the head, with threat messages nailed to some of their chests using ice picks.

A placard on one of the bodies, which were found early on Saturday morning in Uruapan, Michoacan state, said: ‘Warning! This will happen to thieves, kidnappers, sex offenders and extortionists.’

Seven bodies had bullet wounds and had been placed individually in the sitting position in chairs near a roundabout, local authorities said. The local attorney general's office did not provide a motive.

Onlookers: Seven bodies had bullet wounds and had been placed individually in the sitting position

Some of the bodies had their hands and feet bound, outside a Pepsi bottling plant. The men were believed to have been aged from 15 to 40. The bodies were found at 05:30 local time (11:30 GMT).

Meanwhile another seven people were killed in neighbouring Guerrero, where armed men opened fire in a bar in Ciudad Altamirano late on Friday. Four civilians and three off-duty federal agents died.

In Guerrero state, authorities said armed men opened fire in a bar in Ciudad Altamirano late on Friday, and four civilians and three off-duty federal agents were killed.

Location: The bodies were found early on Saturday morning in Uruapan city, Michoacan state, Mexico

The officers were pursued by gunmen while walking to a local bank, and were killed after seeking refuge in a nearby hotel, an official with the federal police said.

Both states on Mexico's western coast have seen a rise of violence in recent years attributed to drug cartels. Around 70,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico in seven years.