Officials claimed on Thursday that two suspects were apprehended after an SUV containing ten victims was parked outside the office of a Mexican state governor in a public area lighted up with Christmas trees and holiday lights.

In a video shot at the square, David Monreal, governor of the central state of Zacatecas, stated the automobile contained dead with obvious evidence of beating and bruises.

“They came to leave them here in front of the palace,” he explained, referring to his offices in a centuries-old edifice on the Plaza de Armas in Zacatecas, the state capital.

The Zacatecas public security agency said in a statement that government officials found the car, a Mazda SUV, after noting a suspicious vehicle driving in the area. The federal security ministry said there were 10 bodies inside.

Monreal said security has been a major challenge in Zacatecas and that he would reduce the violence.

“Bit by bit we will recover our peace. What we received was a cursed inheritance,” he said.

In a tweet later in the day, Monreal said two suspects “linked to the events” had been arrested.

Zacatecas has become one of the most violent regions of the country due to turf wars among rival gangs. In 2021, the state registered 1,050 murders, about 260 more than in 2020, according to official data.