Five young musicians from the Mexican state of Guanajuato have been found dead after being abducted, allegedly by members of a local drug cartel. The incident has reignited concerns about cartel-related violence targeting civilians in central Mexico.
According to state authorities, the victims were part of a regional music group and had been missing for several days before their bodies were discovered in a remote area near the town of Celaya. Local reports indicate that the musicians were last seen on their way to perform at a private event.
Guanajuato, a major industrial and agricultural region, has seen escalating violence in recent years, largely due to conflict between rival criminal groups, particularly the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel. Both organizations have been vying for control over the region’s drug trafficking and extortion rackets.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the musicians may have been caught in the crossfire or mistakenly targeted. Witnesses told investigators that unidentified men stopped the group’s van, forcibly removed them, and drove them away in separate vehicles.
Governor Diego Sinhue Rodríguez condemned the killings and vowed justice. “We will not allow organized crime to continue destroying the peace and security of our communities,” he said during a press briefing. “This cowardly attack on innocent youth will not go unpunished.”
Local prosecutors are treating the case as a targeted attack and have launched a full-scale investigation. Authorities have not officially named any suspects, but forensic teams are working to gather evidence from the crime scene.
Families of the victims have called for accountability, holding vigils and demanding stronger government action to address the region’s chronic insecurity. “They were just kids trying to follow their dreams in music,” one grieving relative told reporters. “They had nothing to do with crime.”
The incident has added to growing public pressure on both local and federal officials to rein in the cartels that operate with impunity in parts of Mexico. Human rights groups and civil society organizations have criticized the government for failing to protect citizens in high-risk areas.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who has come under scrutiny for his “hugs not bullets” security strategy, has yet to issue a formal statement on the case. His administration has focused on addressing root causes of crime, but critics say the approach has failed to curb violent incidents like this one.
In recent years, Mexico has seen an increasing number of artists, journalists, and performers become victims of organized crime. Many musicians in particular have been targeted for allegedly performing for rival groups or refusing to comply with extortion demands.
Analysts say that while drug cartels were once primarily focused on trafficking, they have increasingly expanded their operations into other sectors, including kidnapping, fuel theft, and illegal arms trading, making their presence felt in more communities.
The Mexican government has deployed National Guard units throughout Guanajuato in an attempt to restore order, but the region remains one of the most violent in the country, with thousands of homicides reported annually.
The tragedy of the murdered musicians has struck a national chord, with many Mexicans sharing condolences and expressing outrage on social media. The victims’ names have not yet been released, pending notification of all families.
Authorities continue to search for leads and potential accomplices as public mourning gives way to calls for justice and reform.
Source; Al Jazeera
