Gunmen Fled To Coahuila After The Kombo Kolombia Massacre

The state of Coahuila and Nuevo León formed a joint task force to coordinate their search for 10 suspects implicated in the massacre of the Kombo Kolombia band members. 

By H. Nelson Goodson

February 3, 2013

Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico - On Saturday, authorities in the state of Nuevo León confirmed, that a joint task force has been formed between the Nuevo León Justice Department (PGJNL), the Coahuila State Justice Department (PGJC), the Mexican Federal Attorney General's Office (PGR), Federal Police and the military to coordinate a bi-state search for 10 suspects implicated in the mass murder of the Kombo Kolombia band. Another known suspect sought in the homicides is the man who contracted the band to play at a private party where they were kidnapped. The suspect is not being named due to an ongoing investigation and dragnet in the two states.

Federal and state police in both the state of Nuevo León and Coahuila are on the verge of cracking the case that has made a local vallenato and cumbia style band famous worldwide after the 17 band and crew members were kidnapped and executed. All the members of the Kombo Kolombia band whose bodies were dumped in a well at the abandon Estacas ranch in the town of Mina have been identified.

On January 24, the band was playing at La Carreta bar on the outskirts of the municipality of Hidalgo for a private party of 50 people when a group of ten armed men entered the bar and kidnapped all the members of the band at gun point. The gunmen in multiple vehicles drove around for four hours until they reached an abandon ranch where the band members were tortured and then murdered.

During the killing, one of the band members managed to escaped early Friday and was able to notify family members and authorities.

Within hours, authorities found the ranch and the well where the bodies were dumped. The gunmen had fled, but left an abandon vehicle with a license plate from Nuevo Laredo believed to have been used to transport the victims.

The band member who escaped has not been identified, but has been taken out of state and placed under protective custody. The surviving band member is providing vital information about the identities of the gunmen involved in the massacre. 

Family members tried to locate the victims on January 25, but their cell phones were not working. When family members went to look for them at the bar where they were playing, they found their vehicles outside the bar and all the band instruments had disappeared from inside the bar, except some items, a song booklet, microphones and speakers.

Nuevo León authorities released the names of the Kombo Kolombia Vallenato style band whose bodies have been identified.

• José Antonio Villarreal Villarreal, 39;

•  Heiner Iván Cuéllar Pérez, 24; 

• Víctor Ángel Santamaría Cruz, 43; 

• José Baudelio Santos López, 38;

• Javier Flores Valerio, 29; 

• Edgar Dimas Montes, 31;

• Francisco Javier Alfaro Hernández;

• Saúl Reynoso Sáenz, 30; 

• Reyes Alejandro Mendoza Rodríguez, 25; 

• Mario Alberto Beltrán Ortega, 24;

• Juan Ignacio Herrera Ortiz, 42;

• Juan Tomás Carrizales Rodríguez, 25 ;

• Ricardo Alfonso Verduzco Sáenz, 27;

• Carlos Alberto Sánchez Aguirre, 37;

• José Rodríguez Rostro;

• Federico Iván Méndez; and

• José Francisco Jiménez Díaz.