The disappearance of mining workers in the municipality of Concordia, Sinaloa, on January 23, 2026, has brought one of the most violent areas in the southern part of the state under scrutiny. In this region, currently marked by the forced displacement of communities and an unprecedented military deployment, federal authorities and security reports identify Óscar Luciano Martínez Larios, alias “El Casco,” as the alleged plaza boss for Los Chapitos.
On the morning of January 23, an armed group stormed the camp of the Canadian company Vizsla Silver in Concordia and, in a simultaneous incident, a bus stop on the Villa Unión–Durango highway, on the outskirts of the municipality, kidnapping a total of 14 workers.
Among the victims are 10 employees of Vizsla Silver, private security personnel, and four more from the company CICAR S.A. de C.V.
News reports by local media outlets, such as Revista Espejo, have documented that, weeks before the mass kidnapping of the miners, criminal activity had intensified in Concordia and surrounding communities like Escuinapa, resulting in armed clashes and forced displacements.
