A mining company based in Vancouver reported that ten of its workers were kidnapped from a project site in Concordia, located in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico. The area has been plagued by a cartel conflict since 2024. Vizsla Silver issued a statement on its website confirming the abduction and stated that details are scarce as the incident is being investigated.
The company informed Mexican authorities and activated its crisis management and security response teams. Activities at the site have been halted following the incident. Vizsla Silver is working on the development of the Panuco silver and gold mining project in Sinaloa.
Reports from local media indicate that the majority of the abducted employees are Mexican nationals. The Sinaloan attorney general’s office announced an investigation into the kidnapping, triggered by a report received on January 24 regarding the disappearance of the individuals. State and federal authorities, including the military, are collaborating on search operations.
According to Latinus, armed individuals took the company employees from a rented residence in Concordia on January 23. Global Affairs Canada acknowledged the security incident in Concordia and stated that the Canadian embassy in Mexico is liaising with local officials. The embassy confirmed no Canadian citizens were affected.
The Security and Citizen Protection Secretariat of Mexico did not provide an immediate comment. The ongoing internal conflict within the Sinaloa cartel, a prominent international organized crime group, has resulted in numerous casualties in the state.
CBC News has contacted Vizsla Silver for further details on the incident.