JALISCO, Mexico — Mexican officials say the dismembered bodies of 17 slain men have been found on a farm in central Mexico, in an area disputed by violent drug cartels.

Jalisco state prosecutor Tomas Coronado Olmos says the bodies were dumped by a highway in the town of Tizapan el Alto near the border between Jalisco and Michoacan states. Authorities discovered the bodies Sunday, while Mexicans celebrated Independence Day.

Coronado Olmos didn't reveal the identities of the slain but said the bodies were naked, mutilated and stacked with chains around their necks.

The country's drug cartels have regularly left behind such grisly remains throughout the country as they battle for control of key trafficking routes and markets.