Five members of a musical group were brutally murdered in the northern Mexican state of Tamaulipas, an area plagued by cartel violence, authorities confirmed Thursday.
Nine suspects have been arrested as part of the investigation into the deaths of the members of the band “Fugitivo,” Tamaulipas Attorney General Irving Barrios announced after five bodies were discovered.
Tamaulipas is a stronghold of violent criminal organizations, including the Gulf Cartel, which is suspected of involvement in the abduction and killing of the musicians. According to investigators, the victims—men aged between 20 and 40—had traveled to a bar in the border city of Reynosa on Sunday to perform Norteño music.
“The investigation led to an area where five lifeless bodies were found,” the state’s Security Department stated on social media.
Relatives said the group had been hired to play at a venue in downtown Reynosa, but upon arrival, they found only an empty lot. After their disappearance, one of the musician’s sisters received extortion calls and reported the theft of two vehicles belonging to the group.
Musicians in Mexico are frequently targeted by criminal gangs, who sometimes force them to compose and perform songs glorifying cartel leaders, known as “narco-corridos.” Several cities have banned the controversial music genre.
Instead of a ban, President Claudia Sheinbaum has promoted a campaign titled “Mexico Sings for Peace and Against Addiction,” aimed at youth aged 18 to 34.
Other well-known Mexican artists, including Los Angeles Azules and the rock bands Molotov and Café Tacvba, have also been affected by crime, suffering thefts of their musical equipment and instruments.
