Five of the 10 workers abducted from a Canadian-operated mine in Mexico last month have been confirmed dead, authorities said.
Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office announced on Monday that five bodies discovered at a property in El Verde, a rural area in the state of Sinaloa, had been identified, while efforts continue to establish the identities of five other remains found at the site.
In a statement, the office said investigators have stayed in contact with the victims’ families. It added that the identified bodies would be returned to their home states two to Zacatecas, and one each to Chihuahua, Sonora and Guerrero.
Four suspects were arrested last week in connection with the case, and authorities said they would continue collecting evidence to ensure the killings “do not go unpunished,” though no motive has yet been disclosed.
Vizsla Silver, which operates the Panuco gold and silver mine near Mazatlán, Sinaloa, said earlier on Monday that several families had informed the company that their relatives were among the dead.
“We are devastated by this outcome and the tragic loss of life,” said Michael Konnert, president and chief executive of Vizsla Silver. “Our deepest condolences go to our colleagues’ families, friends and co-workers, and the entire Concordia community.”
He added that the company remains focused on locating the workers who are still missing and supporting affected families and employees during what he described as an extremely difficult period.
The Vancouver-based company reported on January 28 that 10 workers had been taken from its project site and that authorities had been notified.
Sinaloa has experienced rising violence tied to rival factions linked to two co-founders of the Sinaloa cartel Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán both currently in U.S. custody.
According to figures compiled by the Mexican newspaper Milenio, the western state recorded more than 1,680 homicides in 2025, making it its deadliest year in more than a decade.
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