Authorities announced Thursday the discovery of five murdered musicians from the regional Mexican band Grupo Fugitivo. The group had been missing since May 25 after being kidnapped near Reynosa, a violence-stricken city on the Texas border.

The musicians disappeared while traveling in an SUV to a scheduled performance around 10 p.m. that night. Their remains were later found on the outskirts of Reynosa. Authorities arrested nine individuals suspected of ties to a faction of the Gulf Cartel, which has a strong presence in the area.

Though officials have not confirmed the motive, some media outlets reported the bodies had been burned. Grupo Fugitivo performed regional Mexican music, a genre that includes cumbia and corridos. While some artists glorify drug cartels in their lyrics, it remains unclear if Grupo Fugitivo sang such songs or were simply victims of Reynosa’s ongoing cartel violence.

The last known communication from the musicians was a message to relatives saying they were en route to the event. After that, there was silence.

News of their disappearance shocked the community. Families of the victims, along with concerned citizens, took to the streets in protest. On Wednesday, demonstrators blocked the international bridge between Reynosa and Pharr, Texas, later gathering at a cathedral to pray.

Tamaulipas, the state where Reynosa is located, has long battled cartel-related violence involving drug trafficking, human smuggling, and fuel theft. This tragedy echoes a 2018 case where members of “Los Norteños de Río Bravo” were similarly kidnapped and murdered.