5 Workers of Canadian-Owned Mining Company in Mexico Found Dead, Officials Say

A miner lights up one of the caverns so that his colleagues can see the way out San Joaquin, Mexico, on Aug. 19, 2025. AP Photo/Fernando Llano

Five of the 10 missing workers from a mine operated by a Canadian company in Mexico have been confirmed among the 10 bodies that were found in unmarked graves last week, Mexican authorities say.

Canadian mining company Vizsla Silver has also confirmed that some of the workers abducted from its project site in Concordia, Mexico, last month have been found dead. The Vancouver-based company reported last month that 10 workers from its Panuco project in Mexico had been kidnapped on Jan. 23.

The mineral exploration firm said in a Feb. 9 press release it had been informed by a number of families with abducted relatives that their loved ones had been found dead. The company said it is awaiting confirmation from Mexican authorities and will provide further updates “as appropriate.”

Mexico’s Attorney General Office said in a Feb. 9 statement on Facebook that the remaining bodies are still pending identification. The bodies were located on a property in the town of El Verde within the municipality of Concordia in Sinaloa.

Neither the company nor Mexican authorities have provided any comments regarding a potential motive.

“We are devastated by this outcome and the tragic loss of life. Our deepest condolences are with our colleagues’ families, friends and co-workers, and the entire community of Concordia,” Vizsla president and CEO Michael Konnert said in the press release. “Our focus remains on the safe recovery of those who remain missing and on supporting all affected families and our people during this incredibly difficult time.”

Mexican authorities first announced the discovery of bodies and remains in an area of the ongoing search on Feb. 6. They also announced that four people suspected of being connected to the disappearances of the workers had been arrested.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the suspects had led police to the bodies. “Everything is under investigation,” she said on Feb. 9.

Cartel Threats

Concordia is a remote and mountainous area located in the Mexican state, where a turf war has been ongoing for more than a year between two competing factions of the Sinaloa cartel.

Some of the Vizsla workers who went missing had been threatened by organized crime groups in the region, including the Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa cartel that is led by the sons of former Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, several of the victims’ families have said.

Mexican Security Minister Omar Garcia confirmed last month the area from which the miners went missing is under the Chapitos’ control.

Vizsla first went public with the kidnappings from its silver mine on Jan. 28, saying it had alerted authorities and its crisis management and security response teams were involved in the search for the missing workers. The silver mine has been closed since the kidnappings.

The Mexican government also assisted, increasing the number of troops deployed to the state to help find the workers. The more than 1,000 troops sent to the region included soldiers and elite marines.

Officials have said mining operations can be targeted by cartels as they view them as opportunities for extortion or to steal and sell valuable ore themselves.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.