Five Mexican musicians killed in suspected cartel attack

Five members of the Mexican music group Fugitivo were found dead after disappearing over the weekend in a northeastern city plagued by organized crime.

Authorities suspect they were murdered by drug traffickers.

Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, public prosecutor Irving Barrios confirmed the arrest of nine suspected cartel members believed to be behind the killings.

The grim discovery came just hours after officials revealed they had located five bodies during the ongoing search for the missing musicians, who had been hired to perform in the violence-stricken area.

Family members said they had received ransom demands after a group of musicians ranging in age from 20 to 40 disappeared on Sunday in Reynosa, a city in Tamaulipas state close to the US border.

The musicians had reportedly been booked for a concert, but upon arrival, they found only an empty lot, according to their families, who have since staged protests demanding urgent action from authorities.

Investigators traced the group's movements using surveillance camera footage and cellphone data, said Barrios.

It's believed the musicians were abducted on Sunday night while traveling to a private gathering in a vehicle, he added.

Authorities have since detained nine suspects believed to be connected to the abduction. Barrios noted the individuals are linked to a faction of the Gulf Cartel.

In the operation, security forces also confiscated nine firearms and two vehicles.

Tamaulipas is among Mexico’s most violent states, plagued by gangs involved in drug trafficking, human smuggling, and crimes like extortion.

Since 2006, over 480,000 people have been killed in cartel-related violence across Mexico, and about 120,000 remain missing.

Musicians in Mexico have previously been targeted by criminal networks that compel them to write and perform songs celebrating cartel leaders’ exploits.

These performers often live near powerful drug lords and can become entangled in violent disputes between rival factions.

In 2013, 17 members of the band Kombo Kolombia were murdered in Nuevo León, reportedly because of alleged ties to a competing cartel.

Earlier this year, a plane dropped leaflets over a northwestern Mexican city, threatening approximately 20 musicians and influencers accused of associating with a Sinaloa cartel splinter group.

In response to the popularity of “narcocorridos” songs that romanticize cartel violence President Claudia Sheinbaum launched a music competition encouraging artists to create new songs that reject violent themes.

Some states have already banned narcocorridos, and tensions came to a head recently when a singer’s refusal to perform popular tracks during a concert sparked a riot.