‘We will honour our colleagues through the work we do every day’
Nine of 10 workers abducted at gunpoint from Vizsla Silver Corp.’s Panuco silver project in Sinaloa, Mexico, have been found dead, the Canadian mining company has confirmed.
The Vancouver‑based firm said it had verified the deaths of nine colleagues and that one worker remains missing following the Jan. 23 abduction near Concordia, in western Mexico’s Sinaloa state.
The company added that it “remains in close contact with the family of one colleague who remains missing and continues to support the authorities in their ongoing investigation.” Vizsla said it would provide an operational update “in due course” and thanked stakeholders “for their support during this difficult period.”
“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 the company.
“We will always carry this loss with us. We will honour our colleagues through the work we do every day and our ongoing commitment to their families, our community in Sinaloa, and the values that define us,” he said.
Kidnapping and investigation in high‑risk region
The 10 workers were abducted at gunpoint on Jan. 23 from the Canadian‑owned project, according to a report by COS. Families later informed Vizsla that some of the abducted workers had been found dead near the project site outside Concordia,
Mexican authorities have said the case remains under investigation and have announced several arrests, according to COS, but have not publicly attributed the crime to a specific group. The incident has been highlighted by watchdogs as an example of the extreme security risks facing mine workers in regions where control of territory is contested and organized crime is active.
Mexican authorities have linked the kidnappings to Los Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa cartel led by the sons of the jailed drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, according to a CBC report.
At one point, Mexico said it was investigating whether the company itself bore any responsibility for the kidnapping.
"We have to … look into exactly what the labour conditions were for these miners and see if there is or isn't responsibility," on the part of Vizsla Silver Corp. employees, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Feb. 13, according to the report.
