At least five dismembered bodies were found Thursday in a truck in Guanajuato, central Mexico, where there is open warfare between drug cartels, authorities said.

The bodies were wrapped in plastic bags and stacked on top of each other in a parked truck found by police officers in Cabobarrio, in the Salvatierra region, local authorities said.

The number of bodies is estimated at between five and seven, sources close to the investigation told AFP.

Guanajuato is a thriving industrial centre with several well-known tourist destinations. The state had the highest number of homicides in 2023 with 3,746, 12 percent more than the national average, according to official figures.