Authorities Identify Ninth Missing Miner in Sinaloa; One Worker Remains Missing

After months of searching, Mexican authorities identified another of the workers kidnapped in Concordia, Sinaloa, in January at the hands of alleged cartel members.

In a statement, Canadian company Vizsla Silver confirmed the identification of one of the workers, bringing the number of miners found dead to nine.

"This is a devastating outcome, and our heartfelt condolences are with all the families impacted. We stand beside them with continued support as we mourn our colleagues and friends," said Michael Konnert, president and CEO of Vizsla Silver. The company said it remains in close contact with the family of the worker who remains missing and continues to support authorities in their investigation.

However, two other workers who requested anonymity told local outlet Reporte 100 Sonora they had been threatened by cartels long before 10 colleagues were kidnapped.

"We had some encounters with criminal organizations. They literally told us: 'Please, leave, we can't guarantee your safety.'" He added that he believes the incidents that followed were reprisals after workers failed to leave. "We'll give you a reason to stop working," the person said cartel operatives told them.

Miners said they were under surveillance and frequently intercepted by suspicious vehicles. They also reported seeing drones flying over areas they explored. They rejected the claim that workers were taken from their beds in a designated area. "They knew exactly where they were going, who they were going for, and they were taken from there, from their home," the worker added.

Following reports of the kidnappings, federal forces were deployed to Sinaloa to locate the workers. Through operations in the Concordia area, authorities found and dismantled nearly a dozen clandestine camps allegedly used by criminal groups as temporary shelters.

Similarly, during an operation in the town of El Verde, Mexican officials located a clandestine grave where 10 bodies were recovered. The Attorney General's Office confirmed at the time that five of the bodies belonged to the missing miners, and since then, four more have been identified.

The search for the engineers and miners has led to the discovery of at least six clandestine graves in the area around El Verde since Feb. 3, where 14 bodies have been recovered, several of them still unidentified.

On Feb. 4, four people allegedly linked to the case were arrested in two operations carried out in Concordia and Mazatlán. Testimony from those detained was key, as it provided valuable information about what happened, according to President Claudia Sheinbaum.