The bodies of five musicians from the Mexican regional music band Grupo Fugitivo were discovered in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, near the Texas border on Thursday, May 29, 2025, after they disappeared following a performance on Sunday, May 25. Authorities arrested nine suspects believed to be members of the Gulf Cartel in connection with the kidnapping and murders.
The musicians, aged between 20 and 40, were kidnapped around 10 p.m. on Sunday while traveling in an SUV to a venue where they were hired to perform. Tamaulipas state prosecutors indicated that the band arrived at the location only to find a vacant lot instead of the expected concert venue. Their bodies were found on the fringes of Reynosa.
The missing 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. The group performed at parties and local dances throughout the region, specializing in Mexican regional music that encompasses styles including corridos and cumbia.
Tamaulipas Attorney General Irving Barrios Mojica confirmed during a news conference that “Law enforcement arrested nine individuals considered likely responsible for the events.” The suspects are known members of Los Metros, a faction of the Gulf Cartel that operates in Reynosa. Authorities seized nine firearms and two vehicles during the arrests.
Family members reported receiving ransom demands after the musicians disappeared. The last communication from the band occurred Sunday night when they told relatives they were traveling to the performance venue. Local media reports suggested the bodies had been burned, though authorities did not immediately confirm the condition of the remains or provide details about the cause of death.
The disappearance prompted significant public outcry in Tamaulipas, a state long affected by cartel violence. Families organized protests and demonstrations, including blocking the international bridge connecting Reynosa and Pharr, Texas, on Wednesday. Protesters later gathered at a local cathedral to pray and make offerings for the disappeared musicians.
Investigators used video surveillance footage and mobile phone tracking to establish the musicians’ final movements. The band’s vehicle was found abandoned shortly after their disappearance, showing no signs of violence, but the trailer used to transport their musical equipment was missing.
Reynosa has experienced escalating violence since 2017 due to internal disputes among criminal groups competing for control of drug trafficking, human smuggling, and fuel theft operations. The border city sits adjacent to the United States and serves as a major crossing point between the two countries.
Musicians in Mexico have increasingly become targets of cartel violence, particularly those who perform narcocorridos, songs that glorify drug cartel leaders. While authorities have not confirmed whether Grupo Fugitivo performed such music, the genre has drawn attention from government officials and law enforcement agencies on both sides of the border.
This incident follows a pattern of violence against musicians in the region. In 2018, armed men kidnapped two members of the musical group Los Norteños de Río Bravo, whose bodies were later found on the federal highway connecting Reynosa to Río Bravo, Tamaulipas. In 2013, 17 musicians from Kombo Kolombia were executed by alleged cartel members in Nuevo León.
The U.S. State Department maintains travel advisories warning Americans against visiting Tamaulipas due to crime and kidnapping risks. The advisory notes that heavily armed criminal groups often patrol border areas and operate with limited law enforcement response capability.
Recent actions by the Trump administration have included revoking visas for Mexican musicians accused of glorifying criminal violence. In April 2025, members of Los Alegres del Barranco had their visas revoked after projecting the image of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes during a concert performance.
Mexico has recorded more than 480,000 deaths from drug-related violence and organized crime since 2006, with approximately 120,000 people currently classified as disappeared or unaccounted for according to official statistics. Tamaulipas remains one of the country’s most dangerous states due to ongoing cartel operations and territorial disputes.