Heads Roll Over Papal Visit In Mexico

Just days ahead of a visit by Pope Benedict, the severed heads of ten people have been found in Mexico in a suspected outbreak of drug violence, authorities said.  The heads were lined up on a street outside a slaughterhouse in Teloloapan, about 155 miles south of Mexico City.

The bodies have not been found, according to the Guerrero state attorney general's office.  Seven of the heads belonged to men and three to women, all aged between 20 and 35 years.

More than 50,000 people have died in drug-related violence since President Felipe Calderon launched an army-led crackdown on the cartels after taking office five years ago.  Teloloapan is in the Tierra Caliente region of Guerrero, where the La Familia cartel and its offshoot, Los Caballeros Templarios (The Knights Templar), are fighting for territory.

A statement from the Teloloapan police said the heads were left with a message that appeared to threaten the La Familia cartel.  The warning said: 'This is going to happen to all those who support the FM.'