Los Metros Suspected of Killing Grupo Fugitivo Musicians

The disappearance and subsequent discovery of five members of Grupo Fugitivo sparked a wave of indignation in Mexico and quickly spread beyond Mexico’s borders. Grupo Fugitivo was a musical group originally from Reynosa, Tamaulipas dedicated to performing romantic ballads, corridos, and Norteño music. It’s members were young people between 20 and 40 years old who performed in bars, private parties, and local venues. 

On the night of Sunday, May 25 the members of Grupo Fugitivo were heading to a private performance in the Riveras del Río neighborhood in Reynosa, Tamaulipas. According to the State Attorney’s Office around At 10:00 at night, the four musicians and their manager boarded a black truck to fulfill their contracted employment commitment. 

However, Carlos González, the group’s lead vocalist didn’t go with them. According to conversations spread by family members, he was running late and didn’t manage to meet up with his bandmates. When he arrived at the meeting point, the place was already empty. He then went to the place, but no one was there anymore. It was just a vacant lot, a relative of said. 

The next morning, after not hearing news, the families began to search for them. By Monday, May 26 search groups such as ‘Love for The Missing’ posted a missing persons report on social media for the five individuals unaccounted for, 4 musicians and their representative. Hours later, the case began to gain notoriety. 

Friends, family, and colleagues in the music industry held protests and vigils to demand their location. On Tuesday, May 27, authorities located the black GMC pickup truck in which the musicians were traveling. The vehicle was found abandoned in the La Cañada neighborhood without the logos that identified the musical group. 

That same day based on the analysis of video surveillance and the tracking of cell phones, the State Attorney General’s Office managed to establish a probable route that led investigators to a property located in the Aquiles Serdán neighborhood, west of Reynosa. The site, a brickyard area on the banks of the Rio Grande, was surrounded by state and federal forces. 

Authorities confirmed the discovery of five bodies whose characteristics matched those of the missing persons. Prosecutor Irvin Barrios Mojica indicated that there were elements that suggested the remains belonged to members of the group. The families publicly claimed that they hadn’t been notified before the announcement, nor had genetic tests been done to confirm the identities. 

The location remains under guard and continues to be processed by forensic experts who seek to establish the motive and the exact circumstances of the crime. However, the prosecutor’s office indicates that the investigations point to a cell of the Cartel del Golfo, Los Metros, who would be behind the crime. This criminal faction has its area of operation in Reynosa and has been pointed out on several occasions for its participation in acts of violence.

• Ulises Raga Ortiz aka, El Fayuca, killed the musicians for their refusal to sing a narco ballad dedicated to him.

Source: La República