Five innocent music band members were lured to their deaths, becoming the latest victims of widespread Mexican drug cartel violence near the Texas border.
Police have arrested cartel members linked to the brutal murders of Grupo Fugitivo musicians.
The musicians were tricked with a fake gig offer before being kidnapped and killed, exposing the ongoing reign of terror by cartels just across the southern border.
Mexican authorities have detained a man known as “M-47,” suspected of ordering the murder of the five members of Grupo Fugitivo.
Velieved to be a boss in the “Metros” gang, which is part of the Gulf Cartel, the suspect was arrested during raids where drugs, weapons, cash, and suspicious vehicles were seized. Two other suspects were also detained in the operation.
The bodies of four musicians and their manager were found in Tamaulipas state, just across from Texas, four days after being reported missing.
The band members were lured to an abandoned lot under the false promise of performing at a private party.
When they arrived, they found only an empty lot before they were ambushed and kidnapped.
Relatives received chilling ransom demands after the men disappeared, a common tactic used by cartels in the region.
The Gulf Cartel, which operates in Tamaulipas, is heavily involved in drug and migrant smuggling as well as kidnapping for ransom.
The band’s SUV and equipment were found abandoned near the meeting location, indicating they were likely taken to another property before being killed.
In a rare stroke of luck, the band’s lead singer survived because he was running late to the meeting.
When he arrived and found the vacant lot, he realized something was wrong. Had he been on time, he would have shared the fate of his bandmates.
In total, authorities have arrested at least 12 suspects connected to the murders, highlighting the organized nature of this crime.
Reynosa, the border city where the murders took place, has been plagued by escalating violence due to internal disputes among criminal groups fighting for control of drug trafficking routes and other illegal activities.
“If you’re in South Texas, if you’re in San Antonio, the violence that occurs in Mexico, cartel related, it makes it to San Antonio, some of the crime that you are seeing,” said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Craig Larrabee.
This isn’t the first time musicians have been targeted by cartels in Mexico. In 2013, 17 musicians from Kombo Kolombia were executed by cartel members.
The genre of Mexican regional music sometimes intersects with cartel culture, with some bands performing at private parties hosted by cartel-connected individuals or composing “narcocorridos,” songs praising drug lords.
U.S. federal agencies are now intensifying efforts to stop firearms from being smuggled from the U.S. into Mexico, where they often end up with these violent cartels.
Director of Field Operations for Laredo Field Office Donald Kusser stated, “Every firearm that crosses that border into the hands of a criminal organization represents a potential act of terror and a threat of safety of people on both sides of the border.”
Recent executive orders have expanded federal agencies’ authority to combat weapons trafficking, with new penalties including up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Cartels are now classified as foreign terrorist organizations, increasing the consequences for those aiding them.
The musicians’ disappearance caused public uproar in Tamaulipas, leading to protests and demonstrations demanding justice.
