Mexico City ( CNN ) -- Seven bodies that had been dismembered and burned were found in the western Mexican state of Michoacan on Saturday , authorities said . According to the state prosecutor 's office , the grisly discovery was made along a highway during an early morning army patrol . Seventeen bodies were found in the same area earlier this week . Photos : Violence in Mexico . Various drug cartels -- including the Knights Templar , La Familia Michoacana , the Zetas and the Jalisco New Generation -- operate in the region and are battling for control . Michoacan is Mexican President Felipe Calderon 's home state . Shortly after taking office in December 2006 , he announced plans to deploy federal troops to help the government 's fight against organized crime . Since then , more than 47,500 people have died in drug-related violence in Mexico . According to Mexico 's National Human Rights Commission , more than 5,300 people have disappeared throughout the country in that same time period , and the bodies of 9,000 dead have not been identified . Mexico says Gulf Cartel boss arrested . Officials : Inmates walked out front door during mass prison escape in Mexico . 26 killed in blaze at Mexican gas facility near border . CNNMexico.com contributed to this report .
The bodies were dismembered and burned . They were discovered along a highway in Michoacan . Various drug cartels operate in the area .