Mexico says 4 youths disappeared, cartels may be involved

MEXICO CITY – Prosecutors in Mexico’s Gulf coast state of Veracruz say four young people have disappeared and drug cartels may be involved.

The prosecutor’s office says two young men and a young woman disappeared last Thursday near the port city of Veracruz. Another young man disappeared separately the same day.

The office said Tuesday in a statement that no ransom demands had been made. It said it will present the case to federal prosecutors “because of the existence of indications of the involvement of organized crime.”

Veracruz has been hit by waves of disappearances, in which local police and drug cartels have sometimes been implicated.