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Vancouver-based Vizsla Silver has confirmed that nine of its 10 workers abducted in Concordia, in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, in late January have been found dead.
“Nine colleagues have now been found deceased,” the company said in a news release. It added that the company “remains in close contact with the family of one colleague who remains missing and continues to support the authorities in their ongoing investigation.”
The workers were kidnapped on Jan. 23. Ten bodies were found in February in Concordia, about 50 kilometres east of Mazatlán. At the time, the Mexican attorney general’s office said five of the workers had been identified.
WATCH | 3 miners identified:
Bodies of 3 kidnapped employees of Canadian mine identified in Mexico
Ten employees of Vancouver-based mining company Vizsla Silver Corp. were kidnapped in Mexico in January. Three of them are now confirmed dead after their bodies were found near a rural village.
Two more of the workers were later confirmed dead, while three remained missing.
The workers were abducted from a gated residential compound in Concordia, a municipality in the northwestern state of Sinaloa.
Mexican authorities have linked the kidnappings to Los Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa cartel led by the sons of the jailed druglord Joaquín [El Chapo] Guzmán. The group is fighting a rival faction, known as La Mayiza, that is loyal to the son of Ismael [El Mayo] Zambada, who once co-led the Sinaloa cartel with Guzmán.
People participate in a funeral procession for Ignacio Salazar Flores, one of the miners kidnapped and killed, in Sombrerete, Zacatecas state, Mexico, in February. (Edgar Chavez/Reuters)
At one point, Mexico said it was investigating whether the company itself bore any responsibility for the kidnapping.
“We have to … look into exactly what the labour conditions were for these miners and see if there is or isn’t responsibility,” on the part of Vizsla Silver Corp. employees, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Feb. 13.
Vizsla Silver said it continues to cooperate fully with Mexican authorities in their ongoing investigation.
“This is a devastating outcome, and our heartfelt condolences are with all the families impacted,” said Michael Konnert, President and CEO of Vizsla Silver in the release. “We stand beside them with continued support as we mourn our colleagues and friends.”
Global Affairs Canada had previously said it wasn’t aware of any Canadians missing in the abduction.
