The Sinaloa Search Commission reported the disappearance of five men, who apparently were kidnapped by a criminal group. They are Heriberto López Díaz, 30 years old; José Ángel Soto Espain, 17 years old; Juan Antonio Soto Espain, 29 years old; Luis Ramón Flores Cevallos, 38 years old; and Luis Armando Vallejo, 19 years old. Local media in Sinaloa reported that a woman, the partner of one of them, was traveling with the group and was allegedly released by the criminal group a few hours later.
Luis Armando Vallejo's file indicates that “On February 7, 2026, at approximately 09:00 hours, he was deprived of his liberty, since then his whereabouts are unknown”. Juan Antonio Soto Espain's file indicates that he last communicated with his family by phone the morning of Saturday, February 7, since then his whereabouts are unknown.
In Sinaloa, the largest clandestine cemetery in the country's history is discovered: María Idalia Gómez. Investigative journalist María Idalia Gómez reported that a clandestine grave has been located in Sinaloa where, according to preliminary field estimates and testimonies from detainees, there could be around 120 bodies, including workers from a Canadian mining company who disappeared at the end of January. Gómez warned on “Aristegui en Vivo” that the area in El Verde, Concordia municipality, could house more than 500 additional bodies and described the discovery as “the largest clandestine cemetery in the country's history”.
According to the journalist, the area is wooded, vast, and difficult to access, typical of mining areas where the “Chapitos” criminal group, linked to the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, operated. “This area became a space for clandestine burials of people who mainly died in clashes, also kidnapped people, people who were kidnapped for ransom or because they were mistaken for another organization or adversaries; the presence of officials or former officials there is not ruled out either”, she explained.
Regarding the Canadian mine workers, Gómez specified that they were kidnapped on January 23 and that so far 10 bodies have been officially identified, of which five have been fully confirmed by DNA. In that grave, in that area there are several graves, there are between 10 and 25 different graves or spaces where they even opened them to great depth and when they filled up, they opened another; that is, that's why there are many bodies in each grave.
Gómes clarified that the kidnappings were not the result of confusion as the authorities indicated, but part of the criminal strategy of the Chapitos in the mining area. “There was no confusion, those people were staying in a camp very close to the mine and they were totally and absolutely identified as mine personnel”.
Regarding the Canadian mine workers, Gómez specified that they were kidnapped on January 23 and that so far 10 bodies have been officially identified, of which five have been fully confirmed by DNA. In that grave, in that area there are several graves, there are between 10 and 25 different graves or spaces where they even opened them to great depth and when they filled up, they opened another; that is, that's why there are many bodies in each grave.
Gómez clarified that the kidnappings were not the result of confusion as the authorities indicated, but part of the criminal strategy of the Chapitos in the mining area. “There was no confusion, those people were staying in a camp very close to the mine and they were totally and absolutely identified as mine personnel”.
Citizen Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch commented during the presidential conference that “with the first arrests made by the army of four people allegedly responsible for the illegal deprivation of liberty, what they mention is that they were confused, the first statements of the detainees with members of an antagonistic group; those are the first statements, we will have more information and of course we will have more detainees in this regard”.
The journalist clarified that the grave contains both old and recent bodies, indicating that the cemetery has been used for years. “There are people, there are bodies that are very old, there are bodies that are not so old; this clandestine cemetery started with what has been seen in some bodies much further back and obviously it became and has extended into what they consider at this moment”.
Gómez emphasized that the search requires international coordination, as preliminary reports have already been shared with authorities in the United States and Canada. “The reports are already shared with authorities in the United States and Canada, they are not only in Mexico, and here a truly titanic task will be required for this discovery, this task that has to be done and hopefully it will be done with the authorities, with due prudence”, she assured.
The journalist reported that the search operation has extended to neighboring states such as Sonora, Jalisco, Michoacán, and Nuevo León, in case there are other clandestine graves. “The operations have extended not only in Sinaloa, Jalisco, Nayarit, Colima, Michoacán, Nuevo León, the search operations for these leaderships that have apparently fled the area are being extended”, she explained.
Finally, Gómez insisted on the need for authorities to be transparent and for the search to be complete. “It is important to say it, not because I have a political load towards the government, but because it would be several governments, state authorities, who have to be accountable and that in addition the search is extended”, she concluded.
