Murder investigations in Mexico hit record high in May

Forensic technicians work at a site believed to be a mass grave at an abandoned ranch where state authorities previously discovered a mass grave with the remains of 56 people a year ago, in the municipality of Garcia, on the outskirts of Monterrey, Mexico. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The number of murder investigations in Mexico rose to a record high in May, official data showed, as criminal violence increased dramatically since last year.

There were 2,186 murder probes in May, the highest for any month in data going back to 1997, according to the latest government statistics.