Mexican authorities have confirmed that five of the ten employees from a Canadian-run silver mine in Sinaloa were found dead after being kidnapped two weeks ago. Investigators probe possible cartel links to the killings.
The Attorney General’s Office said on Monday that the bodies discovered in clandestine graves in the municipality of Concordia have been identified as some of the missing mine workers. Authorities are working to identify five additional bodies found at the same site. Four suspects have been arrested in connection with the case, officials said.
The victims, all Mexican nationals, were abducted on January 23 from a project site operated by the Vancouver-based company Vizsla Silver Corp. in the small town of Pánuco, in the Concordia district. According to relatives, gunmen stormed the camp and forced the workers—among them two engineers and a geologist—into vehicles before driving off.
Vizsla Silver said in a statement that it “has been informed by several families that their relatives, our colleagues, who were taken from the company’s project site in Concordia, Mexico, have been found deceased.” The statement added that the company was awaiting official confirmation from Mexican authorities.
“We are devastated by this outcome and the tragic loss of life,” said Vizsla President and CEO Michael Konnert. “Our focus remains on the safe recovery of those who remain missing and on supporting all affected families and our people during this incredibly difficult time.”
Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha confirmed that several clandestine graves were discovered last week in Concordia as part of the ongoing search, which involved more than 1,000 officers, three helicopters, and two planes. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that “those suspects had led authorities to the bodies” and added that “everything is under investigation.”
The mountainous region of southern Sinaloa has become one of the flashpoints in a violent turf war between rival factions of the powerful Sinaloa cartel. The struggle has left more than 1,700 people dead and nearly 2,000 missing in just over a year, according to government data.
While Mexico has long faced widespread abductions—over 132,000 people are currently listed as missing nationwide—attacks directly targeting international companies are rare. Analysts say mining operations, especially those in remote areas rich in silver, gold, or zinc deposits, have increasingly become targets for organised crime seeking to extort businesses or traffic in stolen ore.
Concordia, located along rugged mountains rich in minerals, remains one of the most dangerous zones in Sinaloa. As search efforts continue for the remaining five missing workers, officials and families alike are calling for justice and greater protection for employees working in Mexico’s resource-rich but violence-stricken regions.
