Thursday, officials in the violence-plagued state of Zacatecas confirmed the occurrence and reported that police were eventually able to remove the dog’s head.
The head and other body parts were left in an ATM booth in the hamlet of Monte Escobedo on Wednesday night, according to an unnamed law enforcement officer.
The human remains were accompanied by a note referencing a narcotics cartel. However, before the police could intervene, a stray dog stole the corpse’s head.
A video shared on social media showed the dog carrying the head by the neck as it trotted down a darkened street, presumably with the intention of transporting it to a safe location to devour it.
Local gangs supported by the Sinaloa and Jalisco drug cartels have been engaged in a prolonged, brutal turf war in Zacatecas.
As a form of intimidation against rivals or authorities, drug gangs in Mexico often leave letters among piles of dismembered human parts.
In June, the deaths of seven men were discovered in a popular tourist area, with warnings mentioning the Gulf Cartel, which operates primarily along the northern U.S. border.
In April, six severed heads were reportedly discovered on the roof of a car in Mexico alongside a note that read, “This will happen to everyone who causes trouble.”