Mexican authorities in search of to talk with Canadian mining agency over kidnapped workers

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The legal professional normal for the Mexican state of Sinaloa says she needs to talk with officers from a Canadian mining agency whose workers had been kidnapped by a suspected faction of the Sinaloa cartel.

Sinaloa Lawyer Common Claudia Zulema Sánchez Kondo instructed reporters Tuesday that her workplace has had no formal contact with Vancouver-based Vizsla Silver since at the very least 10 of its workers had been kidnapped from a house rented by the corporate on Jan. 23 within the metropolis of Concordia.

“The corporate has not approached us. We're within the means of requesting to talk with the director of the corporate … so we will set up all the pieces, ” mentioned Sánchez Kondo, in line with a video recording of her statements supplied by her workplace to CBC Information.

Sánchez Kondo mentioned that the one communication with the corporate up to now got here via a authorized consultant for Vizsla Silver, who knowledgeable Sinaloan authorities in regards to the kidnappings over a 911 name on Jan. 23.

Sinaloan authorities are additionally in search of info from the corporate on the organizational chart and the kidnapped workers roles, mentioned Sánchez Kondo.

Vizsla Silver has not supplied any lacking individuals experiences for its workers and authorities have solely acquired 5 official lacking individuals experiences, filed by households, thus far, mentioned the legal professional normal.

The corporate didn't return repeated requests for remark despatched by CBC Information over electronic mail and by phone.

Paused operations in April 2025 <img loading="lazy" alt="An overhead shot of a compound with buildings." srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/a1197d72-aec1-4fd5-b94c-9cead255784d,1770248281857/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C1249%2C770%29%3BResize%3D796 796w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/a1197d72-aec1-4fd5-b94c-9cead255784d,1770248281857/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C1249%2C770%29%3BResize%3D1083 1083w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/a1197d72-aec1-4fd5-b94c-9cead255784d,1770248281857/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C1249%2C770%29%3BResize%3D1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 762px) calc(100vw - 32px),730px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/a1197d72-aec1-4fd5-b94c-9cead255784d,1770248281857/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C1249%2C770%29%3B" style="aspect-ratio:1.622077922077922" data-cy="image-img"/> Vizsla Silver's Panuco mining undertaking headquarters in Sinaloa, Mexico. ( Vizsla Silver) Vizsla Silver has beforehand confronted safety considerations with its silver and gold mining exploration undertaking referred to as Panuco in Sinaloa. It paused subject work on April 4, 2025, because of “safety circumstances within the space,” in line with an organization submitting with the U.S. Securities and Trade Fee (SEC).

“Sure areas of Mexico, together with the state of Sinaloa … have skilled outbreaks of localized violence, threats, thefts, kidnappings and extortion related to drug cartels and different felony organizations,” mentioned the SEC submitting.

The kidnapping of the workers has emerged among the many high safety priorities for state and federal authorities in Sinaloa. The state is presently within the grip of a bloody and protracted civil struggle throughout the Sinaloa cartel, one of the crucial highly effective drug trafficking teams on this planet, that exploded in September 2024.

Mexican federal safety and citizen safety secretary Omar Harfuch travelled Wednesday to the northwestern Mexican state, which has a shoreline alongside the Pacific Ocean, to fulfill with state and army officers.

Harfuch has beforehand mentioned that authorities suspect a faction of the Sinaloa cartel, often called Los Chapitos, was concerned within the kidnapping.

<img loading="lazy" alt="A man in a white shirt stands a podium while a woman in the background looks on." srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/b1fac97c-b3ac-461e-9b97-de8acca69f7d,1770248537216/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C1280%2C852%29%3BResize%3D796 796w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/b1fac97c-b3ac-461e-9b97-de8acca69f7d,1770248537216/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C1280%2C852%29%3BResize%3D1083 1083w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/b1fac97c-b3ac-461e-9b97-de8acca69f7d,1770248537216/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C1280%2C852%29%3BResize%3D1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 762px) calc(100vw - 32px),730px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/b1fac97c-b3ac-461e-9b97-de8acca69f7d,1770248537216/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C1280%2C852%29%3B" style="aspect-ratio:1.5023474178403755" data-cy="image-img"/> Safety and public safety secretary Omar Harfuch speaks throughout a press convention on Jan. 23 in Veracruz, Veracruz State, as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum appears on. (Mexican Safety and Public Safety Secretariat) Two state-level lawmakers with the Residents' Motion social gathering not too long ago got here underneath gunfire whereas travelling in a car throughout an assault additionally linked to Los Chapitos. One of many lawmakers, Sergio Torres, is reportedly in a medically-induced coma.

Federal authorities not too long ago introduced they arrested one man in reference to the assault.

The Los Chapitos faction stays loyal to the sons of now-jailed Joaquín (El Chapo) Guzmán. They're combating a faction loyal to the son of Ismael (El Mayo) Zambada García, who as soon as co-led the Sinaloa cartel with El Chapo.

One in all El Chapo’s sons betrayed Zambada García in July 2024 and handed him over to U.S. authorities, sparking an ongoing civil struggle that has left hundreds lifeless and lacking throughout the state.

Search warrants executed Federal authorities have despatched 1,190 troops to seek for Vizsla Silver's workers, together with 270 particular forces operatives, who're being supported by three helicopters and two surveillance planes. The operation is scouring distant and mountainous areas in and round Concordia, which sits about 50 kilometres east of the vacationer coastal metropolis of Mazatlán.

The workers had been taken from a house rented by the corporate in Concordia, mentioned Sánchez Kondo.

Harfuch’s workplace didn't reply to a request for remark in search of updates on the federal operation.

Authorities have thus far executed 5 separate search warrants as a part of the investigation, together with 4 in Concordia and one in Mazatlán, she mentioned. Authorities have seized three cellphones, a laptop computer and identification playing cards belonging to the workers.

Sinaloa Gov. Rubén Rocha mentioned Wednesday that there have been some arrests presumably linked with the continuing seek for the lacking mining workers, in line with native experiences.