MEXICO CITY - Fifteen beheaded bodies were found Saturday morning in the Mexican beach resort of Acapulco, the public security office of Guerrero state reported.

Forensic workers take the dead body of a man out of a car in Acapulco, Mexico, on Jan 8, 2011. Fifteen beheaded bodies were found Saturday morning in the Mexican beach resort of Acapulco, the public security office of Guerrero state reported. [Photo/Xinhua]

Police said the victims were aged between 25 and 30. The bodies were found beside a shopping center near five abandoned vehicles after police responded to a report of a car fire after midnight.

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Police said messages were left with the bodies, saying a trafficking group called "The Pacific Cartel", led by Joaquin Guzman, was responsible for the massacre.

The killings seemed to be linked to a new wave of drug violence in Mexico.

The Mexican government launched a major military crackdown when President Felipe Calderon took office in 2006. Official data show more than more than 30,000 people have been killed in battles among rival gangs and security forces.