A mining company based in Vancouver has reported that 10 of its workers were kidnapped from a project site in Concordia, located in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico. The region has been embroiled in a violent feud among cartels since 2024. Vizsla Silver confirmed the abduction in a statement on its website, stating that the situation is being investigated with limited available information.
Mexican authorities have been informed, and the company’s crisis management and security response teams are actively involved. Some operations at the site have been halted by Vizsla Silver, which is working on a silver and gold mining venture named Panuco in Sinaloa.
Reports from local media suggest that the majority of the abducted employees are Mexican nationals. The attorney general’s office in Sinaloa has initiated an inquiry into the incident, prompted by a report of the disappearance of 10 individuals on January 24. Collaborating with federal authorities, including the military, state officials have launched search operations and executed a search warrant in connection with the case.
According to Latinus, the employees were taken by armed individuals from a rented residence in Concordia on January 23. Global Affairs Canada acknowledged a security incident in Concordia and stated that Canadian embassy officials in Mexico were in contact with local authorities, confirming that no Canadian citizens were known to be involved.
The Security and Citizen Protection Secretariat of Mexico has not yet responded to requests for comments. The ongoing internal conflict within the Sinaloa cartel, a prominent global organized crime syndicate, has resulted in numerous casualties and disappearances in the state.
Vizsla Silver has been approached by CBC News for further details on the incident.