Mexican Government Mobilizes Troops to Rescue Kidnapped Workers

The Mexican government has sent around 1,000 soldiers to assist in the search for ten workers kidnapped from a Canadian mining company by members of the Sinaloa cartel.

This situation began on January 23, when armed individuals, believed to belong to the Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa cartel, attacked a mining camp located near Concordia in Sinaloa state. The exact reasons for the abduction are still unclear. While the victims are Mexican nationals, they work for the Canadian company Vizsla Silver, which has garnered international attention, pressing the Mexican government to act. It’s worth noting that, in Mexico, many cartel-related kidnappings go unresolved.

Omar García Harfucci, Mexico’s chief security official, indicated there had been no prior threats or extortion attempts made by the cartel against the mining company. He pointed out that a Los Chapitos cell, led by Oscar “El Casco” Martinez Larios—one of the key figures in the cartel—was responsible for the kidnapping. Local news outlets in Mexico have reported a rise in cartel activities and consolidation in the area in the days leading up to the incident.

The Mexican federal government stated that the troop deployment comprises military personnel, naval units, and federal police, along with aircraft used to locate the abducted workers. This was a direct reaction to the firepower and the number of armed individuals associated with the Chapitos cell in the La Concordia region. In March 2025, authorities confiscated over 3,000 explosive devices linked to El Casco’s faction, indicating the severity of their operations and the ongoing turf wars.