Jaime Castañeda confirmed the identification of his brother, a 43-year-old geologist, on Sunday at the local headquarters of the federal attorney general in Mazatlán, Sinaloa. José Manuel Castañeda Hernández, employed by Vizsla Silver Corp., was among ten individuals abducted on January 23 from Concordia, located around 50 kilometers east of Mazatlán.
Expressing the pain of the situation, Jaime Castañeda shared in a phone interview with CBC News that the experience was difficult, being in an undesired place. Originally from Guerrero, José Manuel Castañeda Hernández was a husband and father of two children, a 14-year-old son, and a 10-year-old daughter.
Jaime Castañeda expressed the emotional toll of witnessing the suffering and the lack of justice in the situation. The bodies of two other Vizsla Silver Corp. employees from Zacatecas were also confirmed by family members and a federal politician on Sunday. These three men were discovered deceased near El Verde, a rural village north of Concordia.
The tragic events unfolded amidst escalating violence due to the ongoing conflict between factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, with one faction loyal to El Chapo’s sons and another to El Mayo Zambada’s son. Authorities suspect a group linked to Los Chapitos was responsible for the abduction of the mining employees.
The Attorney General’s Office confirmed the discovery of bodies and human remains at the El Verde site, with one body showing similarities to a missing Vizsla Silver worker. Vizsla Silver expressed condolences and emphasized their focus on locating the remaining missing individuals.
Families gathered at the attorney general’s headquarters to identify the bodies recovered. The families of the Zacatecas employees were among those engaged in the identification process. Ignacio Aurelio Salazar Flores, one of the identified workers, was confirmed by his wife, who described the day as extremely challenging.
The second worker from Zacatecas, José Ángel Hernández Vélez, was identified through a social media post by Senator Geovanna Bañuelos. The incidents were analyzed by experts, suggesting the kidnappings as a display of strength and a targeted message due to the victims’ connection to a foreign mining company.
The region has witnessed a surge in violence, with a high number of intentional homicides and missing persons reported since the factional conflict began in 2024. José Manuel Castañeda Hernández’s tragic fate adds to the grim statistics, leaving his loved ones with cherished memories of a kind-hearted individual dedicated to his profession.