Mexican authorities have arrested at least nine people in connection with the deaths of five members of the Mexican regional band Grupo Fugitivo.
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The five victims—Francisco Javier Vázquez, 20; Nemesio Antonio Durán, 40; band manager Livan Solís de la Rosa, 27; Víctor Manuel Garza, 21; and José Francisco Morales, 23— performed at a private event in Riberas de Rancho Grande on Sunday (May 25.) They were traveling to perform at a second event Sunday when they were reportedly abducted.
Authorities recovered their bodies four days later on the outskirts of Reynosa, a border city plagued by drug cartel violence. The nine suspects allegedly belong to the Los Metros faction of the Gulf Cartel, which operates in Reynosa. Officers also seized nine firearms and two SUVs during the arrest.
A post made to the band’s Facebook page Sunday (May 25) indicated they were headed to McAllen, Texas. Surveillance footage confirmed the men’s arrival at a palapa bar in the Rancho Grande neighborhood of Reynoso, Tamaulipas. However, no footage shows them leaving the establishment. Later, family members reported receiving ransom demands, according to the BBC.
The band’s abandoned van was found shortly after they disappeared, according to the Latin Times. While the vehicle showed no signs of violence, the trailer used to transport their musical equipment was missing.
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According to the Daily Mail, the members of Grupo Fugitivo stopped at the McAllen-Reynosa International Bridge just before 10 p.m. Sunday, where they posed for pictures and filmed a short video clip.
Not long after, Vázquez, Garza, Morales, Durán and Solís left in the SUV, with lead singer Carlos González traveling in a separate vehicle. Multiple outlets report that González arrived at the meeting point, but headed home when he did not see his bandmates there.
González has not spoken publicly about his bandmates’ death.
Formed in 2023, Grupo Fugitivo played Mexican regional music, which includes corridos and cumbia. They often played at local parties and dances.
Oftentimes, these genres’ lyrics reference drug cartel leaders, characterizing them as “Robin Hood-type figures.”
Police are still searching for a motive. It was not immediately clear if the suspects targeted the men because of their music, or if they simply got caught in the crossfire of cartel violence. However, other Mexican artists have faced death threats from cartels in the past.
Featured image courtesy of Facebook
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