Bodies of 5 Missing Musicians Found Burned Near Texas Border
Authorities in northern Mexico confirmed Thursday that the remains of five missing musicians from the group Grupo Fugitivo were discovered burned near Reynosa, a city close to the Texas border. The men had vanished on May 25 while en route to a performance.
According to investigators from Tamaulipas state, the musicians were last seen traveling in an SUV around 10 p.m. that night. They were abducted shortly afterward. Their bodies were eventually found on the outskirts of Reynosa. Nine individuals believed to be linked to a faction of the Gulf Cartel have been arrested in connection with the case.
Officials have not disclosed a motive for the killings and declined to comment on local media reports claiming the bodies had been set on fire. Grupo Fugitivo played Mexican regional music, a genre that includes styles like cumbia and corridos. This music has gained renewed popularity, sometimes controversially glorifying cartel figures with Robin Hood-like portrayals.
It remains unclear whether the group performed songs that referenced drug lords or if they were simply caught in the crossfire of cartel violence. In recent years, some musicians have lost U.S. visas or received death threats for similar performances.
The musicians’ last known contact was a message to family members confirming they were heading to the gig. After that, all communication ceased.
Their disappearance shocked Tamaulipas, a state long plagued by cartel-related violence. Families filed missing persons reports, and protests broke out. Demonstrators temporarily blocked the international bridge between Reynosa and Pharr, Texas, before gathering at a nearby cathedral to pray and honor the missing men.
Violence in Reynosa has surged since 2017 due to turf wars over drug trafficking, fuel theft, and human smuggling. This latest tragedy recalls a 2018 incident when two members of Los Norteños de Río Bravo were kidnapped and later found dead along a federal highway in the same region.