In a grim turn of events, Mexican officials announced that they have recovered ten bodies in the ongoing search for workers who were taken from a silver mine last month. Five of those bodies have been identified so far, while forensic teams are working to determine the identities of the remaining five.
Relatives of the missing miners have reported that they have yet to receive any information about who the unidentified bodies belong to. Family members are scheduled to meet with local authorities on Tuesday to discuss the next steps.
One family member expressed her fear of returning to Sinaloa, a region plagued by violence from drug cartels. “We want to go to Sinaloa,” she said, “but we have no guarantee that we will be safe. We know about the violence and we are afraid to go.”
The kidnapping occurred at the end of January at a silver mine in northern Sinaloa, an area that security officials say is under the influence of a cartel faction led by the sons of former drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
Earlier this week, the national mining chamber confirmed the deaths of three of the kidnapped workers and called for a thorough investigation into who is responsible.
Meanwhile, the Canadian mining company that operates the mine has focused on ensuring the safe recovery of any workers still missing and on supporting the affected families. The company’s CEO expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life, stating, “We are devastated by this outcome and the tragic loss of life.”
Following the discovery, the company’s share price fell by 12.4% at the market close, and the mine has remained closed since the kidnapping.
Authorities have also found a body in a clandestine grave in Concordia, about 45 kilometers east of Mazatlán. Over the weekend, more than 1,000 troops, including elite marines, were deployed to the area in an effort to locate the remaining miners. Four suspects have been arrested in connection with the case.
President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the nation in a press conference, saying the federal government is in close contact with the families and the mining company. “We are looking into everything that could have caused this situation,” she said, “and we hope a situation like this will never happen again.”
Families of four of the kidnapped miners confirmed that they were not asked for a ransom, although the workers had warned them of the dangers posed by local crime groups.