Jaime Castañeda has confirmed the identification of his brother, José Manuel Castañeda Hernández, a 43-year-old geologist who was working for Vizsla Silver Corp., a mining company based in Vancouver. José Manuel was among ten employees abducted on January 23 from Concordia, a municipality located 50 kilometers east of Mazatlán, in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico.
Jaime Castañeda expressed the emotional difficulty of being in a place where they did not want to be, as he viewed the photographs of his brother’s body at the federal attorney general’s local headquarters in Mazatlán. José Manuel, a native of Guerrero, leaves behind a wife and two children, a 14-year-old son, and a 10-year-old daughter.
The bodies of José Manuel and two other Vizsla Silver Corp. workers from Zacatecas were discovered near El Verde, a rural village north of Concordia, in what local reports describe as a mass grave. This tragic event unfolded amidst escalating violence fueled by a civil war within the Sinaloa Cartel between factions loyal to different leaders.
Mexican authorities suspect a group associated with Los Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, to be behind the abductions. The families of the deceased workers were called to identify the bodies, as the community mourns the loss of these individuals. Vizsla Silver Corp. expressed condolences and reiterated their commitment to supporting the affected families during this challenging time.
Analysts suggest that the kidnappings could be a display of power by certain cartel factions, targeting individuals connected to foreign companies for strategic reasons. The violence in the region has led to numerous homicides and disappearances, with José Manuel Castañeda Hernández becoming another tragic statistic in this ongoing conflict.
Jaime Castañeda shared fond memories of his brother, emphasizing his dedication to mining and truthfulness throughout his life, leaving behind a legacy of kindness and honesty.
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