Mexican authorities link Sinaloa cartel faction to murder of Vizsla Silver workers
Mexican officials say a Sinaloa cartel faction was responsible for the kidnapping and killing of ten Vizsla Silver employees in January.
On Jan 23, ten Mexican employees of the Vancouver-based Vizsla Silver mining project were seized at gunpoint and later discovered buried in clandestine graves. Mexico’s defense ministry linked the crime to a faction of the Sinaloa cartel, identifying one suspect as Jesus Abraham, also known as Taliban. The ministry also noted a prior arrest of Gabriel N., alias Gabito, who belonged to the same faction.
Authorities say the victims were mistakenly targeted as rivals in the cartel’s internal conflict that has intensified since September 2024. The implicated faction is said to be under the control of the sons of imprisoned drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, whose organization has been designated a terrorist group by the United States.
Why it matters
The case highlights the danger foreign mining firms face from cartel violence in Mexico.
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