Five kidnapped miners confirmed dead in Mexico's Sinaloa state

Mexican authorities have recovered the bodies of ten individuals during the search for ten workers kidnapped last month from a silver mine in northern Sinaloa state, Mexico. Five of the bodies have been positively identified as the abducted miners, according to the attorney general’s office.

The miners were taken in late January from a mine operated by Canada’s Vizsla Silver Corp in an area reportedly controlled by the Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa cartel led by the sons of former drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. The attorney general’s office stated that the bodies were located in the municipality of Concordia, with forensic teams continuing to identify the remaining five.

Reuters cited Mexican authorities confirming the discovery on Monday. Earlier that day, Mexico’s mining chamber confirmed the deaths of three of the kidnapped miners. Vizsla Silver, based in Vancouver, expressed devastation over the outcome. CEO Michael Konnert said, “We are devastated by this outcome and the tragic loss of life,” adding that the company remains focused on the safe recovery of those still missing and supporting affected families.

Over the weekend, the Mexican government deployed more than 1,000 troops, including elite marines, to the area to locate the missing miners. Authorities have arrested four suspects in connection with the kidnapping.