Three More People Arrested And Weapons Seized In Connection With Killing Of Grupo Fugitivo Members

Three more people have been arrested in connection with the killing of members of Grupo Fugitivo, a Mexican band. Authorities also seized guns and drugs in the operation, which took place in the border state of Tamaulipas.

Reynosa law enforcement added in a statement that the operation was conducted in three properties, with officials noting that the drugs in question were cocaine and methamphetamine.

Authorities did not clarify whether the latest arrests are connected with the nine people apprehended last week, also in connection with the crime. Those people have ties with the Gulf Cartel, Noticias Telemundo detailed.

Authorities confirmed last Thursday that that five bodies found in the state of Tamaulipas belong to the members of the band, who disappeared on May 25 shortly after performing at a private event in the Riberas de Rancho Grande neighborhood.

The band's van was found abandoned shortly after they disappeared. It showed no signs of violence, but the trailer used to transport their musical equipment was missing. The lead vocalist of the group, Carlos Gonzalez, is the only survivor, but largely by chance: he never boarded the van where the rest of the band members were because he was late.

Some family members of the band, however, are not recognizing the deaths and say they are still waiting for confirmation that the bodies effectively belong to their loved ones. They claim that DNA testing has not been completed and the bodies have not been formally identified.

During a Facebook livestream, the mother of Francisco Xavier Vázquez Osorio, one of the missing band members, questioned the prosecutor's statement. Family members added that they tried contacting the prosecutor's office for more information but received no response. "They haven't even let us see the bodies. We don't know anything," another relative said during the broadcast.

The case unfolds against a backdrop of escalating violence in Tamaulipas, a state long marred by cartel-related conflict. Just nine days before the band went missing, the state capital, Ciudad Victoria, witnessed a major shootout between rival criminal groups.

Artists and performers in the region are no strangers to danger. Several musicians have faced threats or even violence in recent years, underscoring the risks faced by those who perform in areas with heavy cartel activity.