12 slain, dumped on road in rural dispute in southern Mexico

Authorities in Mexico's Gulf coast state of Veracruz said Monday that 12 men were killed and their bodies dumped on a roadside in what may have been a dispute between cattle ranchers.

The killings occurred in the rural town of La Choapas, near the border with the neighbouring state of Tabasco.

Veracruz Gov Cuitláhuac Garcia wrote in a statement that "initial investigations suggest a division between ranchers and helpers from La Choapas and Uxpanapa." He added that "abuses and threats between them led to this unfortunate outcome." The region is south of the crime-ridden city of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz.