Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that the Attorney General’s Office is conducting an investigation into a Canadian mining company’s potential involvement in the abduction of 10 of its employees by a suspected cartel. The investigation, led by Attorney General Ernestina Godoy Ramos, aims to determine the circumstances surrounding the January 23 kidnappings and assess if there is any liability on the part of Vizsla Silver Corp. Sheinbaum emphasized the need to scrutinize the working conditions of the miners and explore the role of extortion or threats in the incident.
The workers were taken from a secure residential area in Concordia, Sinaloa. Tragically, five bodies have been discovered near El Verde, with additional remains found in the vicinity. Mexican authorities have linked the abductions to a faction of the Sinaloa cartel known as Los Chapitos, engaged in a violent conflict within the cartel that has resulted in numerous casualties across the state.
In a separate incident on the same day, an engineer from another company was also kidnapped in the area while waiting for transportation to a worksite near Vizsla Silver’s operations. The engineer’s whereabouts remain unknown, and federal authorities have not provided updates on his case. Despite initial speculation of a mistaken identity in the kidnappings, Sheinbaum affirmed the necessity of a thorough investigation based on statements obtained from individuals arrested in connection with the crime.
Relatives of the victims have described a tense working environment for Vizsla Silver employees, characterized by gunfire at night near the compound and armed individuals conducting irregular vehicle searches. Vizsla Silver has stated that it upholds strict security measures and condemns any unlawful behavior.
Canada’s ambassador to Mexico, Cameron MacKay, expressed solidarity with the affected families, friends, and colleagues in a statement, while the Canadian Embassy called for accountability for those responsible for the abductions.
