The bodies of five musicians from the Mexican regional music band Grupo Fugitivo were discovered near Reynosa, Tamaulipas, close to the Texas border, on Thursday, May 29, 2025. The musicians had been missing since their performance on Sunday, May 25. Authorities have detained nine suspects, believed to be Gulf Cartel members, in connection with the kidnapping and murders.
Ranging in age from 20 to 40, the musicians were abducted around 10 p.m. on Sunday while traveling in an SUV to a venue for a scheduled performance. Tamaulipas state prosecutors reported that upon arrival, the band found an empty lot instead of the expected concert location. Their bodies were later found on the outskirts of Reynosa.
The band members were identified as Francisco Xavier Vásquez Osorio, 20; Nemesio Antonio Durán Rodríguez, 40; Livan Edyberto Solís de la Rosa, 27; Víctor Manuel Garza Cervantes, 21; and José Francisco Morales Martínez, 23. Grupo Fugitivo specialized in Mexican regional music, including styles such as corridos and cumbia, performing at local parties and dances.
Tamaulipas Attorney General Irving Barrios Mojica confirmed in a news conference that “Law enforcement arrested nine individuals considered likely responsible for the events.” The suspects are identified as members of Los Metros, a faction of the Gulf Cartel in Reynosa. During the arrests, authorities confiscated nine firearms and two vehicles.
Family members reported receiving ransom demands after the musicians disappeared. The band’s last contact with relatives was on Sunday night, as they headed to the venue. Local media reported that the bodies may have been burned, but authorities have not confirmed this or provided details on the cause of death.
Public outcry ensued in Tamaulipas, a state long troubled by cartel violence. Families of the victims organized protests and demonstrations, including one that blocked the international bridge between Reynosa and Pharr, Texas, on Wednesday. Protesters also gathered at a local cathedral for prayers and offerings in memory of the missing musicians.
Investigators used video footage and mobile phone tracking to trace the musicians’ last movements. The band’s vehicle, found abandoned shortly after their disappearance, showed no signs of violence, but the trailer for their equipment was missing.
Reynosa, which borders the United States, has seen increasing violence since 2017 due to internal conflicts among criminal groups vying for control of drug trafficking, human smuggling, and fuel theft. The city serves as a major crossing point between the two countries.
Musicians in Mexico have increasingly been targeted by cartels, especially those performing narcocorridos, which glorify drug cartel leaders. While it is not confirmed if Grupo Fugitivo performed such music, the genre has attracted attention from authorities on both sides of the border.
Violence against musicians in the region is not a new phenomenon. In 2018, two members of Los Norteños de Río Bravo were kidnapped and later found dead on the highway between Reynosa and Río Bravo, Tamaulipas. In 2013, 17 musicians from Kombo Kolombia were executed by suspected cartel members in Nuevo León.
The U.S. State Department continues to advise against travel to Tamaulipas due to risks of crime and kidnapping, noting that heavily armed criminal groups often patrol the border areas with little law enforcement response.
Recently, the Trump administration revoked visas for Mexican musicians accused of glorifying violence. In April 2025, members of Los Alegres del Barranco had their visas revoked after displaying an image of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel during a concert.
Since 2006, Mexico has recorded over 480,000 deaths due to drug-related violence and organized crime, with about 120,000 people currently listed as missing or unaccounted for, according to official statistics. Tamaulipas remains one of the most dangerous states due to ongoing cartel activity and territorial disputes.
