Authorities on Thursday confirmed the tragic discovery of five murdered members of the regional Mexican band Grupo Fugitivo. The musicians had been missing since May 25 after being kidnapped near Reynosa, a city plagued by cartel violence along the Texas-Mexico border.
The band vanished while traveling in an SUV to a scheduled performance around 10 p.m. that night. Their remains were later found on the outskirts of Reynosa. Authorities have since arrested nine suspects believed to be linked to a faction of the Gulf Cartel, which maintains a strong presence in the region.
While the motive remains officially unconfirmed, some media outlets reported that the bodies had been burned. Grupo Fugitivo was known for performing regional Mexican music—a genre encompassing cumbia and corridos. Though some corridos glorify drug cartels, it is unclear whether Grupo Fugitivo’s lyrics touched on such themes or if they were simply innocent victims of Reynosa’s ongoing cartel conflicts.
The last known contact from the musicians was a message to family members stating they were on their way to the event. After that, all communication ceased.
News of their disappearance sent shockwaves through the community. Grieving families and outraged citizens took to the streets in protest. On Wednesday, demonstrators temporarily blocked the international bridge connecting Reynosa and Pharr, Texas, later gathering at a local cathedral to pray for justice.
The state of Tamaulipas, where Reynosa is located, has long been gripped by cartel-driven violence involving drug trafficking, human smuggling, and fuel theft. This case echoes the chilling 2018 murder of members of another band, Los Norteños de Río Bravo, under similar circumstances.
