The northern Mexican city of Reynosa, located near the Texas border, was the site of a grim discovery on Thursday. Authorities found the bodies of five musicians who had been reported missing since Sunday. The victims were members of Grupo Fugitivo, a band known for playing regional Mexican music at local dances and parties.
The Tamaulipas state prosecutors had been investigating the disappearance of the musicians. They revealed that the men were abducted around 10 p.m. on Sunday while en route to a performance venue in an SUV. The vehicle was later found outside the Specialized Unit for the Investigation of Forced Disappearances.
The bodies of the musicians were discovered on the outskirts of Reynosa. Nine suspects, believed to be part of a faction of the Gulf Cartel, have been apprehended in connection with the case. The Gulf Cartel has a significant presence in the city.
The motive behind the killings remains unclear. Authorities did not immediately provide a reason for the murders and did not refute local media reports suggesting that the bodies had been burned.
Grupo Fugitivo played Mexican regional music, a genre that encompasses a variety of styles such as corridos and cumbia. This genre has gained international recognition in recent years. Some young artists in this genre have been known to pay tribute to drug cartel leaders, often depicted as Robin Hood-like figures. However, it is not known whether Grupo Fugitivo engaged in such practices or if they were merely victims of the widespread cartel violence that has plagued the city.
The musicians were last heard from on the night of their abduction, when they informed their families that they were on their way to the event. Their disappearance sparked outrage in Tamaulipas, a state that has long been marred by cartel violence. The families of the victims reported the disappearances and appealed to the public for support. This led to protests, with demonstrators blocking the international bridge between Reynosa and Pharr, Texas, and gathering at a local cathedral to pray and make offerings for the missing musicians.
Reynosa, a city on the U.S.-Mexico border, has been grappling with escalating violence since 2017 due to internal conflicts among groups competing for control over drug trafficking, human smuggling, and fuel theft. This incident echoes a similar case in 2018 when two members of the musical group “Los Norteños de Río Bravo” were kidnapped and later found dead on the federal highway connecting Reynosa to Río Bravo, Tamaulipas.