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The bodies of three Honduran male teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 were found in plastic bags by the river Ulua in Yoro province, with their hands tied and signs of torture, local press reports.
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The boys were kidnapped by armed men in a village miles from where their bodies were found, and a fourth one is still missing.
Authorities say it is unclear why they were abducted, particularly since they had humble incomes and worked as farm labourers and motorcycle taxi drivers.
The victims have been identified as Edgardo Antonio Salinas,18; Cristian David Orellana, 19; Alex Armando Vallejo, 19; and Cesar Alberto Lopez, 15.
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However, authorities have not confirmed which three were found and which one remains missing. Officials also did not reveal whether the kidnappers demanded a ransom for the victims.
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The Violence Observatory of the National Autonomous University of Honduras estimates that the country's homicide rate is 60 per 100,000 inhabitants, six times the U.N.-established global average of 8.9.
Since the 2009 U.S.-backed coup that overthrew President Manuel Zelaya, violence has worsened and an average of 11 people are murdered every day in the country.
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