Grief Deepens as Bodies of Kidnapped Workers Linked to Canadian Mining Company Are Identified in Mexico

For families in Mexico and beyond, hope has given way to heartbreak.

Authorities in the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa have confirmed the identities of three men who worked for Vancouver-based mining company Vizsla Silver Corp. and were abducted earlier this year. Their bodies were found late last week near the rural village of El Verde, roughly 15 kilometres north of Concordia, an area gripped by intensifying cartel violence.

Among the dead is 43-year-old geologist José Manuel Castañeda Hernández, whose brother, Jaime Castañeda, identified his remains on Sunday after being shown photographs by officials at the federal attorney general’s local headquarters in the coastal city of Mazatlán.

“In truth, this has been very painful to be here, in a place where we don’t want to be,” Jaime Castañeda told Peazzi in a phone interview.

Castañeda Hernández, originally from the southern Mexican state of Guerrero, was a husband and the father of two children—a 14-year-old son and a 10-year-old daughter. His brother said the family is struggling to cope with the sudden and violent loss.

“It’s so hard to see how they’re suffering,” he said. “There’s no justice in what’s happening.”

Kidnapped While at Work

Castañeda Hernández was among ten Vizsla Silver employees kidnapped on January 23 while travelling near Concordia, about 50 kilometres east of Mazatlán. The group was seized in a mountainous region that has become a focal point in an ongoing violent struggle between rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Federal authorities later discovered multiple bodies and human remains near El Verde. While officials have avoided formally using the term “mass grave,” local media widely reported that the remains were found buried together at the site.

The identities of two other Vizsla Silver workers—both from the central state of Zacatecas—were also confirmed over the weekend by family members and public officials.

Other Victims Identified

One of those men was Ignacio Aurelio Salazar Flores, 40. His wife, Dayanara Nataly Esparza, confirmed his identification on Sunday, describing it as “the toughest day” of her life in a brief message to Peazzi.

The second worker from Zacatecas was José Ángel Hernández Vélez, 37. His identity was publicly confirmed by Geovanna Bañuelos, a senator from Zacatecas. Canadian mining firm Capstone Copper later issued condolences in his honour.

Families of at least seven other victims were seen at federal offices in Mazatlán, where they were asked to identify bodies recovered from the site, according to relatives and officials familiar with the process.

Zacatecas state Attorney General Cristian Paul Camacho said his office remains in contact with affected families and is assisting with identification procedures.

Violence Linked to Cartel Conflict

The kidnappings and killings unfolded amid a surge in violence tied to an internal war between rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel. One faction, known as Los Chapitos, remains loyal to the sons of jailed drug lord Joaquín Guzmán, while a rival group, La Mayiza, is aligned with the family of Ismael Zambada.

Mexico’s Security and Civilian Protection Secretary Omar García Harfuch has said authorities suspect a cell linked to Los Chapitos carried out the abductions.

According to regional data compiled by local news outlet Noroeste, more than 2,700 intentional homicides and over 3,200 disappearances have been reported in Sinaloa since the conflict escalated in 2024.

‘A Message of Power’

Analysts say the targeting of workers connected to a foreign mining company may have been deliberate.

David Mora, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, travelled to the Concordia area shortly before the kidnappings to document displacement caused by cartel violence.

Mora said families returning to the region had been told it was safe after Los Chapitos were reportedly pushed out. If that faction was responsible for the abductions, he believes the attack was meant to send a message.

“It would be a show of strength,” Mora said. “A way of saying they’re still present and capable.”

He added that the region’s strategic value—rich in minerals and logging resources—may have factored into the decision to target workers linked to a Canadian company.

A Company and Families in Mourning

Vizsla Silver said it is devastated by the loss of life and continues to focus on the recovery of employees who remain missing.

“Our deepest condolences are with our colleagues’ families, friends, and the entire community of Concordia,” the company said in a statement provided to Peazzi. “Our focus remains on supporting affected families during this incredibly difficult time.”

For Jaime Castañeda, the loss is deeply personal and irreparable.

His brother followed in their father’s footsteps, choosing a life in mining and exploration. Jaime said he last saw José Manuel on January 7, when he dropped him at a bus station in Cuernavaca, south of Mexico City, so he could travel back to work in Sinaloa.

“He loved mining, loved being in the camps, doing exploration,” he said. “It was in his blood.”

More than a statistic in a grim ledger of violence, José Manuel Castañeda Hernández leaves behind a family—and a brother haunted by memories.

“He was younger than me. I watched over him like a son,” Jaime said. “I’ll remember him as a good, noble person. Someone who always told the truth. Always.”