Tragedy strikes for fans, friends, and family of regional Mexican Band Grupo Fugitivo. Four days ago, five of the group members were kidnapped at around 10 pm. Their Facebook account indicates that they were on their way to McAllen, Texas for a show.
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Moreover, the photos show them atthe Reynosa-Hidalgo International Bridge. However, Tamaulipas state prosecutors reveal that they were found dead on the "fringes of Reynosa." The five victims were Francisco Javier Vázquez, Nemesio Antonio Durán, band manager Livan Solís de la Rosa, Víctor Manuel Garza, and José Francisco Morales. Their age ranges from 20 to 40 years old.
According to the BBC, family members of the band reported demands for ransom money from the kidnappers. Since the tragedy, prosecutors have arrested nine potential suspects. They all allegedly have ties to the Gulf Cartel, who have a massive presence in the city of Reynosa. Still, they have not yet found reason for the brutal crime or what exactly happened to them. However, reports suggest that the group members may have been burned.
Members of Regional Mexican Band Grupo Fugitivo Found Dead After Kidnapping
There's no telling if this was an independent act of the suspects or if Grupo Fugitivo's music sparked the conflict. However, the Associated Press writes that, given some of the songwriting, the latter could be a possibility.
"The genre they played - Mexican regional music, which encapsulates a wide range of styles including corridos and cumbia - has in recent years gained a spotlight as it's entered a sort of international musical renaissance. Young artists sometimes pay homage to leaders of drug cartels, often portrayed as Robin Hood-type figures," they write of the band.
During their initial disappearance, the band's hometown of Matamoros, Tamaulipas have incited protests. The victims' families called upon the city to rebel against cartel violence and corruption. On Wednesday, May 28th, protesters blocked the bridge that connects Reynosa to Pharr, Texas before departing to pray.
