The five missing members of Mexican band Grupo Fugitivo were found dead near Reynosa, a northern border city close to Texas. The musicians vanished on May 25 while driving to a gig. Authorities say they were kidnapped around 10 p.m. that night. Their remains were later discovered on the city’s outskirts.

Prosecutors confirmed the arrest of nine suspects tied to the Gulf Cartel but didn’t explain the motive behind the killings. Local reports claim the bodies were burned, though officials have not confirmed this.

Grupo Fugitivo played Mexican regional music, a genre that includes cumbias and corridos — sometimes touching on cartel figures. It’s unclear if the group sang such songs or were simply victims of the region’s widespread cartel violence.

The last message the men sent to loved ones said they were en route to their performance. After that, silence.

Their disappearance sparked outrage. Families protested, crowds blocked the Reynosa–Pharr international bridge, and many gathered in prayer at a local cathedral.

Tamaulipas, the state where Reynosa is located, has long struggled with cartel violence. This tragedy echoes a similar case in 2018, when two members of Los Norteños de Río Bravo were kidnapped and killed in the same region.