Arrests made, guns seized after 5 musicians found dead near U.S. border

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Why Trump is pushing subject assistance for Mexico

Why Trump is pushing subject assistance for Mexico to assistance combat cartels 02:14

Three suspects successful the kidnapping and execution of Mexican musicians successful Tamaulipas authorities on the Texas borderline were arrested during a bid of raids, officials said connected Monday.

The 5 members of section set Fugitivo had been hired for a play show successful the crime-wracked northeastern metropolis of Reynosa, but arrived to find a vacant lot. Their bodies were found respective days aboriginal aft their families reported receiving ransom demands.

"An cognition was carried retired connected 3 properties" successful Reynosa, the nationalist information bureau said successful a statement, adding that the 3 suspects had been arrested there.

Investigators said the musicians had been kidnapped connected May 25 portion driving to a backstage event. Nine alleged cartel members were arrested past week, with authorities announcing different sting connected Monday.

Prosecutors said the 9 radical arrested past week were believed to beryllium portion of a faction of the Gulf Cartel, which has beardown beingness successful the city, but they did not bespeak if the 3 caller suspects arrested had the aforesaid links.

During the newest operation, weapons, weapons cartridges, cocaine and methamphetamines were besides seized, the ministry added.

Mexican authorities corroborate  the deaths of 5  members of a set  successful  northeastern Mexico Mexican Army members basal defender astatine the country where, according to Mexican authorities, the members of the philharmonic radical Grupo Fugitivo were recovered dead, successful Reynosa, Mexico May 29, 2025. Stringer / REUTERS

Reynosa is simply a Mexican borderline metropolis adjacent to the United States and has been plagued by escalating unit since 2017 owed to interior disputes among groups vying for power of cause trafficking, quality smuggling and substance theft.

The U.S. State Department has revoked visas of a fig of Mexican musicians for playing euphony that it says glorifies cartel violence.  Last week, the fashionable Mexican determination euphony set Grupo Firme announced that it was canceling a show successful a euphony festival successful California aft the United States government suspended the musicians' visas.

In April, the U.S. State Department revoked the visas of members of the set Los Alegres del Barranco aft they projected the look of a cause cartel brag onto a ample surface during a performance. 

Musicians targeted successful Mexico

Mexican determination music, which encapsulates a wide scope of styles including corridos and cumbia, has successful caller years gained a spotlight arsenic it's entered a benignant of planetary philharmonic renaissance. Young artists sometimes wage homage to leaders of cause cartels, often portrayed arsenic Robin Hood-type figures.

It was not instantly wide if Fugitivo played specified songs oregon if the artists were simply victims of rampant cartel unit that has eclipsed the city.

Mexican musicians person antecedently been targeted by transgression groups that wage them to constitute and execute songs that glorify the exploits of their leaders.

Such performers often unrecorded successful adjacent proximity to their cause lord patrons, and tin astatine times get caught up successful pack turf battles.

"Narcocorridos" are a arguable sub-genre of euphony successful Mexico, and the songs person caught the attraction of President Claudia Sheinbaum, who precocious launched a euphony contention "for bid and against addictions," seeking to antagonistic the popularity of the euphony among young radical successful Mexico and the United States.

Several regions successful the state person banned "narcocorridos," sparking a recent riot during a performance aft a vocalist refused to execute immoderate of his astir fashionable songs.

In January this year, a tiny level was reported to person dropped pamphlets connected a northwestern metropolis threatening astir 20 euphony artists and influencers for alleged dealings with a warring faction of the Sinaloa cause cartel.  

In 2018, equipped men kidnapped 2 members of the philharmonic radical "Los Norteños de Río Bravo," whose bodies were aboriginal recovered connected the national road connecting Reynosa to Río Bravo, Tamaulipas.

In 2013, 17 musicians from the radical Kombo Kolombia were executed by alleged cartel members successful the northeastern authorities of Nuevo Leon, allegedly due to the fact that of links to a rival gang.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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