23 dead, 9 found hanging from bridge, in Nuevo Laredo

(CBS) - The bodies of nine people were found hanging from a bridge just south of Laredo, Texas in the Mexican town of Nuevo Laredo early Friday morning. Five men and four women were among those dead.

Around 9 a.m., according to a statement from the Proscutor's office in Tamaulipas State, the bodies of 14 men were found beheaded in a vehicle in Nuevo Laredo. The heads were later found in abandoned coolers near a government building.

According to CNN, a message to a drug gang was found along with the bodies of the people founding hanging. The message reportedly alleged that the victims were members of a drug cartel that had perpetrated a car bombing outside a police station last month.

"We are investigating. We think it is related to an organized crime group, but we cannot speculate," a military official told CNN.

The official reportedly said that the bodies were beaten and showed signs of torture.