Mexican Authorities Arrest Alleged Gulf Cartel Leader 'El Fayuka' Linked to Grupo Fugitivo Killings

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An alleged member of the Gulf Cartel in Tamaulipas was arrested in connection to the kidnapping and killing of members of the regional music group Grupo Fugitivo, who disappeared on May 25.

Five members of Grupo Fugitivo, a well-known band in Reynosa that regularly performed at bars, private parties and events, vanished shortly after playing a private show.

According to data from the National Detention Registry obtained by Infobae México, the detainee is identified as Ulises Raga Ortiz, previously named in media reports as a regional cartel figure and one of the suspected masterminds behind the band's disappearance.

Media reports say Ortiz is also known as "El Fayuka" or "Metro 40" and is allegedly a leader of Los Metros, a faction of the Gulf Cartel. Reports from May showed that Tamaulipas officials believed Los Metros were behind the band's disappearance and possible murder. The group maintains a strong presence in Reynosa and has been linked to other violent crimes in the region.

Ortiz is the 14th person publicly identified in connection with the case. Earlier this month, the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) announced the arrests of four alleged cartel members, including a man identified as "M-47," another suspected Gulf Cartel leader in the state.

Prior to those arrests, authorities detained nine individuals following the discovery of burned bodies at a ranch in Reynosa. Despite the number of arrests, the case has generated confusion and outrage in Mexico, especially among the families of the missing musicians and those detained.

In May, authorities said the bodies found at the ranch likely belonged to the missing band members. Relatives, however, rejected the claim, arguing that DNA tests had not been completed and no formal identifications had been made.

During a Facebook livestream, the mother of Francisco Xavier Vázquez Osorio, one of the missing musicians, publicly questioned the official version of events.

"I want to know why the prosecutor's office says my son is dead," she said. "They don't know if it's him. They don't have my DNA. I haven't seen him. They haven't told us anything, and we're the first ones who need to know."

Other family members said they had received no updates from authorities.

"They haven't even let us see the bodies. We don't know anything," one said during the livestream.

Relatives of the nine suspects detained at the Reynosa ranch have also disputed the authorities' account. In interviews with Milenio, they alleged that arrests were made without warrants by unidentified officers in unmarked vehicles.

One woman said her husband was beaten at home and forced into tactical clothing.

"My husband was naked. They dressed him like a soldier, like them," she said. "They shoved me into the bathroom and hit me — I had my daughter in my arms."

Relatives said the detainees worked in local auto shops or brickyards and had no ties to organized crime. At least three had reportedly been employed at the ranch where the bodies were discovered — a connection families argue is not enough to prove involvement.