Family members have confirmed the identities of three workers kidnapped from Vancouver-based Vizsla Silver Corp. in Mexico, deepening grief amid escalating cartel violence in Sinaloa.
Tragic Identifications in Mazatlán
Jaime Castañeda identified his 43-year-old brother, geologist José Manuel Castañeda Hernández, on Sunday through photographs shown by officials at the federal attorney general’s office in Mazatlán. The brother, originally from Guerrero and a father of two—a 14-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter—worked for Vizsla Silver when he was abducted on January 23 along with nine others from Concordia, about 50 kilometers east of Mazatlán.
“In truth, this has been very painful to be here, in a place we don’t want to be,” Jaime Castañeda shared in a phone interview. He added, “It’s so hard to see how they suffer. There’s no justice with what’s happening.”
Authorities also confirmed the identities of two workers from Zacatecas: 40-year-old Ignacio Aurelio Salazar Flores and 37-year-old José Ángel Hernández Vélez. Salazar Flores’s wife, Dayanara Nataly Esparza, described Sunday as “the toughest day” of her life in a text message. Senator Geovanna Bañuelos from Zacatecas announced Hernández Vélez’s identification on social media.
Zacatecas state Attorney General Cristian Paul Camacho noted that families of the two men were communicating with authorities and undergoing identification procedures.
Bodies Discovered Near Rural Village
Federal authorities found the three men’s bodies late last week near El Verde, a rural village 15 kilometers north of Concordia. Local reports describe the site as a mass grave, where officials located bodies and human remains. The Attorney General’s Office stated Friday that one body matched characteristics of a missing Vizsla Silver worker.
Cartel War Fuels Kidnappings
The abductions occur amid a surge in violence from an 18-month conflict between Sinaloa Cartel factions: Los Chapitos, loyal to the sons of imprisoned Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, and La Mayiza, aligned with Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada’s son. Mexico’s Security and Civilian Protection Secretary Omar Harfuch suspects a Los Chapitos-linked cell carried out the kidnapping.
David Mora, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, visited Concordia mid-January and heard from displaced families that La Mayiza had assured safe returns after driving out Los Chapitos. “Assuming the government is correct, it’s a show of strength to signal they’re not out of the picture,” Mora said. He suggested targeting foreign company workers highlights the area’s strategic value for minerals and logging.
Company Response and Broader Impact
Vizsla Silver expressed devastation in a statement: “We are devastated by this outcome and the tragic loss of life. Our deepest condolences go to our colleagues’ families, friends, coworkers, and the Concordia community. Our focus remains on safely recovering those still missing and supporting affected families.”
Jaime Castañeda met at least seven other families at the Mazatlán office identifying bodies from the site. Since the factional war erupted in 2024, Sinaloa has seen 2,776 intentional homicides and 3,290 missing persons reports, per local statistics.
Reflecting on his brother, Jaime Castañeda said, “He loved mining, being out in the camps, doing exploration. This profession ran in generations—our father was a miner too.” He last saw José Manuel on January 7, dropping him at a bus station en route to work. “He was younger than me; I watched over him like a son. I’m left with memories of a good person who always helped others and told the truth—noble his whole life.”
