Jaime Castañeda positively identified his 43-year-old brother, a geologist, on Sunday at the federal attorney general’s office in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, through photographs shown to him by officials. The deceased, José Manuel Castañeda Hernández, was an employee of Vizsla Silver Corp., a Vancouver-based mining company, and was abducted on Jan. 23, along with nine other colleagues from Concordia, located around 50 kilometers east of Mazatlán.
Expressing his anguish, Jaime Castañeda mentioned that being in the location where he had to identify his brother was incredibly distressing. José Manuel Castañeda Hernández, a native of Guerrero state, leaves behind a wife and two children, a 14-year-old son, and a 10-year-old daughter.
The bodies of two other Vizsla Silver Corp. employees, hailing from Zacatecas state, were also confirmed by a family member and a federal politician. All three deceased were discovered last week near El Verde, a rural village approximately 15 kilometers north of Concordia, in what local media have termed a mass grave.
The violent incident occurred amidst escalating tensions due to the ongoing clash between factions of the Sinaloa Cartel — Los Chapitos, loyal to the sons of incarcerated Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, and La Mayiza, aligned with Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada’s son. Authorities suspect Los Chapitos’ involvement in the abduction of the mining company’s workers.
The Attorney General’s Office verified the discovery of bodies and human remains at the El Verde site. Vizsla Silver expressed deep sorrow over the loss and is focused on locating the missing individuals and providing support to affected families.
Furthermore, igniting speculations, David Mora, a senior analyst, suggested that the kidnapping could be a display of power by Los Chapitos, aiming to assert influence in the region. Targeting employees linked to a foreign company like Vizsla Silver may have been a strategic move within the broader political context.
Amidst rising violence, with thousands of homicides and missing persons cases, the tragic demise of José Manuel Castañeda Hernández adds to the somber statistics. Jaime Castañeda reminisced fondly about his brother’s passion for mining and his truthful and noble character, reflecting on their last encounter before the unfortunate events unfolded.