Ten miners employed by Vancouver-based Vizla Silver Corp. were abducted from a Concordia, Sinaloa mine on Jan. 24. Federal and state authorities, working with military units and search commissions, executed a search warrant on Jan. 27 and continue to hunt for the workers. Officials say they are probing whether a local cell of the Los Chapitos cartel is responsible and have identified a suspected leader; 1,600 additional federal troops were deployed to Sinaloa on Jan. 29 amid heightened violence.
Ten Miners Abducted in Sinaloa — Vizla Silver Confirms, Authorities Probe Possible Los Chapitos Link
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Mexican authorities are intensifying searches after ten miners employed by Vancouver-based Vizla Silver Corp. were abducted from a mining site in Concordia, Sinaloa on Jan. 24.
Vizla Silver issued a statement on Jan. 28 confirming the abduction and saying the company’s crisis management and security teams are working with local authorities. “The safety and well‑being of the individuals involved is the company’s immediate priority,” the company said, and added that some operations at and near the site have been temporarily suspended as a precaution.
Security and Citizen Protection Secretary Omar García Harfuch told reporters federal and state agencies are conducting searches for the missing workers. Authorities are investigating whether a faction of the Los Chapitos cartel operates in the area and may be responsible; Harfuch said investigators have identified at least one suspected local leader connected to the cell.
The Sinaloa State Attorney General’s Office said the disappearance was reported the same day it occurred when a company legal representative called 911. An investigation was opened and coordinated with federal authorities, including the Sinaloa State Search Commission and the Ministry of National Defense.
As part of the probe, authorities executed a search warrant on Jan. 27. On Jan. 29 the federal government deployed an additional 1,600 troops to Sinaloa after gunfire was reported targeting two members of the Citizens' Movement party in Culiacán, the state capital.
Harfuch emphasized that finding the miners is a top priority: “We want to tell the relatives of the victims that the entire Cabinet will not stop searching for them,” he said, adding that the National Defense Secretariat, the Navy and reinforcements from the Army have increased their presence in the area to support the operation.
Timeline: Jan. 24 — Abduction reported to authorities; Jan. 27 — Search warrant executed; Jan. 28 — Vizla Silver confirms abduction; Jan. 29 — Additional federal troops deployed to Sinaloa.
Authorities have urged anyone with information to come forward as the coordinated search and investigation continue.
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