Bodies of Missing Mexican Band Found in Well

A dozen bodies have been discovered in a well near the location where members of a Mexican band went missing, authorities say.

20 people have disappeared Friday after Colombian-style group Kombo Kolombia's show, including 16 musicians and crew who were reportedly abducted by an armed group. All were wearing jeans and T-shirts with the logo of the music group - "Poderoso Kombo Kolombia."

Spokesman Jorge Domene from the Nuevo Leon State Investigative Agency says one band member who managed to escape told police that after he and the others were kidnapped. Their captors asked them if they belonged to an organized crime gang and were shot when they refused to answer. Domene said the member had fled Mexico after reporting the attack.

A total of 18 men, 12 musicians plus staff, were abducted on Thursday at a party in a bar near Monterrey. "Presumably there could be more bodies so we will extend the search as far as conditions allow it," Domene said in a press conference.

Residents near the Monterrey bar--where the band had played a private show--reported hearing gunshots around 4am on Friday, followed by the sound of vehicles speeding away. The official added that gunfire is common in the area, and that investigators found spent bullets nearby.

Relatives filed reports about their missing loved ones on Friday after losing mobile contact with them after their Thursday night performance. When family members went to the bar to investigate, the band members' cars were still found parked outside.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has vowed to reduce criminal violence that skyrocketed after his predecessor, Felipe Calderon, launched an assault on drug cartels in December 2006. Some 70,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico since then.

Via: Chicago Tribune