REYNOSA, TAMAULIPAS — Five members of the local Mexican band Fugitivo were found murdered after disappearing last weekend in what authorities say was a deadly trap set by suspected drug traffickers. The musicians, aged 20 to 40, had been hired for a concert in Reynosa but arrived to find an empty lot. They were last seen Sunday night, reportedly kidnapped en route to the fake event, according to prosecutors.
“Law enforcement arrested nine individuals considered likely responsible,” said Irving Barrios, Tamaulipas state prosecutor.
All are believed to be members of the Gulf Cartel, a notorious criminal group operating near the U.S. border. Relatives of the victims said they received ransom demands before the musicians were confirmed dead. The discovery of five bodies followed cellphone tracking and video surveillance used by investigators to retrace the victims’ final movements.
Authorities also seized nine firearms and two vehicles in connection with the arrests. Tamaulipas remains one of Mexico’s most dangerous regions, plagued by violence linked to drug trafficking, migrant smuggling, and extortion. Musicians in the country are often targeted or coerced by criminal groups to perform or create so-called “narco corridos” — songs that glorify cartel leaders.
Since 2006, more than 480,000 people have been killed in cartel-linked violence in Mexico, and 120,000 remain missing, according to official estimates.
