Mexican police arrest suspect in killing of five band members
Police in Mexico have detained a man known by the alias of M-47, whom they suspect of ordering the murder of members of the band Grupo Fugitivo.
The bodies of four musicians from the band and their manager were discovered on Thursday in Tamaulipas state, four days after the men had been reported missing.
Their relatives had reported receiving ransom demands in the days after the men's disappearance.
While kidnappings for ransom are not uncommon in violence-wracked Tamaulipas, the way band members were apparently lured to an abandoned lot by their kidnappers with the promise of a gig at a private party and then killed has shocked locals, who held rallies demanding their release.
Police said they arrested M-47 during raids on three properties, in which they also seized drugs, weapons, cash and suspicious vehicles and detained two other suspects.
Federal officials said they suspect M-47 of being one of the bosses of a gang known as "Metros", which forms part of the Gulf Cartel.
The Gulf Cartel has its stronghold in Tamaulipas state and engages in the smuggling of drugs and migrants across the US-Mexico border, as well as kidnapping for ransom.
It is not clear why the members of Grupo Fugitivo were targeted.
The singer - who survived because he was late on the night - told local media that his band had been hired to perform at a private party and given an address.
The singer said that when he made his own way to the location they had been given to meet up with his fellow musicians, he found the address to be a vacant lot and no sign of the band members or their SUV.
The band's SUV was found abandoned three days later a few kilometres away. The trailer with their instruments and sound equipment was also found dumped at another nearby location.
Investigators believe the five were taken by their captors to a property, where they were killed.
Grupo Fugitivo were known for playing norteña music - a genre characterised by catchy lyrics often sung to a polka-inspired rhythm - which has been targeted by criminal gangs.
Some bands rely on income early in their careers from being hired to play at private parties, many of which are hosted by people involved in or with connections to the cartels.
They sometimes also compose songs praising drug lords and there have been instances in the past when singers of such songs, known as "corridos" have been threatened and even killed by rival gangs.
In total, 12 suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of the members of Grupo Fugitivo so far.
Five musicians murdered in suspected Mexican cartel killing
Mexican band has US visas revoked for 'glorifying drug kingpin'
Indigenous musicians killed in Mexico ambush
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Israel confirms it is arming Hamas rivals in operation opposition calls ‘complete madness'
Israel is arming local militias in Gaza in an effort to counter Hamas in the besieged enclave, officials say, as opposition politicians warned that the move endangers national security. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the covert enterprise on Thursday, calling it 'a good thing.' In a video posted on social media, Netanyahu said Israel had 'activated clans in Gaza which oppose Hamas,' and that it was done 'under the advice of security elements.' Former defense minister and Netanyahu rival Avigdor Liberman divulged the move on Israel's Ch. 12 News on Wednesday, saying that Israel was distributing rifles to extremist groups in Gaza and describing the operation as 'complete madness.' 'We're talking about the equivalent of ISIS in Gaza,' Liberman said one day later on Israel's Army Radio, adding that Israel is providing weapons to 'crime families in Gaza on Netanyahu's orders.' 'No one can guarantee that these weapons will not be directed towards Israel,' he said, a warning echoed by one of the officials who spoke with CNN. After Liberman's revelation, the Prime Minister's Office issued a statement saying, 'Israel is acting to defeat Hamas in various ways upon the recommendation of the heads of the security establishment.' The ongoing operation was authorized by Netanyahu without security cabinet approval, two officials told CNN, which is the normal forum for making major policy decisions. Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners would likely have vetoed such a move. Meanwhile, Hamas said the plan revealed 'a grave and undeniable truth.' In a statement, the militant group said: 'The Israeli occupation army is arming criminal gangs in the Gaza Strip with the aim of creating a state of insecurity and social chaos.' One group that has received weapons from Israel is the militia led by Yasser Abu Shabab, officials said. Abu Shabab heads an armed group that controls some territory in eastern Rafah and he has posted photos of himself holding an AK-47 rifle with UN vehicles behind him. Though Abu Shabab has denied receiving weapons from Israel, Hamas has accused him of being a 'traitor.' 'We pledge before God to continue confronting the dens of that criminal and his gang, no matter the cost of the sacrifices we make,' Hamas said on Thursday. Opposition politicians ripped Netanyahu for the plan to arm militias and the secrecy around it, lambasting it as a continuation of the Israeli leader's decision to allow millions of dollars in cash to travel from Qatar to Gaza beginning in late 2018. They accused him of strengthening Hamas in the past as an alternative to the rival Palestinian Fatah faction, and now arming gangs as an alternative to Hamas. 'After Netanyahu finished handing over millions of dollars to Hamas, he moved on to supplying weapons to groups in Gaza affiliated with ISIS – all improvised, with no strategic planning, and all leading to more disasters,' opposition leader Yair Lapid said on social media. Netanyahu has not laid out a plan for who will govern Gaza in the future and has hardly made clear any of his post-war intentions for the coastal enclave. Part of Israel's war goals include the complete disarmament of Hamas and the end of its ability to govern in the territory. The arming of militias in Gaza appears to be the closest that Netanyahu has come to empowering any form of alternate rule. Despite nearly 20 months of war, Israel has not been able to dislodge Hamas completely from large swaths of Gaza, and the militant group – classified as a terrorist organization in Israel, the United States, and the European Union – has clung to power. Yair Golan, head of the left-wing Democrats party, said in a post on social media: 'Instead of bringing about a deal, making arrangements with the moderate Sunni axis, and returning the hostages and security to Israeli citizens, he is creating a new ticking bomb in Gaza.'
Business Journals
2 hours ago
- Business Journals
Delaware's 2025 DGCL amendment
In March 2025, Delaware enacted significant amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL). These amendments, enacted through Senate Bill 21 (SB 21) and signed into law by Gov. Matt Meyer on March 25, 2025, substantively modify the safe harbor provisions for interested transactions and refine the scope of stockholder inspection rights. We analyze these critical changes and their practical implications for Delaware corporations, their boards and stockholders. Background and context The amendments were passed by the Delaware legislature in response to a concerning trend of corporations redomesticating to other states. The law took effect immediately upon the governor's signature and represents Delaware's proactive effort to maintain its position as the premier state for corporate domicile by providing greater statutory clarity in areas previously defined primarily through case law. Section 144: Comprehensive safe harbor framework Defining the 'controlling stockholder' The amendments provide a statutory definition of a 'controlling stockholder' as one who: Owns or controls a majority of voting stock entitled to vote in director elections Can appoint directors with majority voting power, or Has equivalent control by holding at least 33.33% of the corporation's voting stock and managerial authority over the corporation Three distinct safe harbor paths The amendments establish differentiated approval requirements for interested transactions based on the specific conflict scenario: 1. Majority interested board safe harbor For transactions involving a majority interested board, the amendments provide a safe harbor from both equitable relief and damages liability through either: Approval by an independent committee comprising at least two disinterested directors, or Approval or ratification by a majority of the votes cast by disinterested stockholders Notably, the director safe harbor no longer requires conditioning approval before the start of substantive economic negotiations, though the board must determine all committee members are disinterested. For stockholder approval, the 'votes cast' standard replaces the previous 'outstanding' shares standard. 2. Conflicted controller/non-go-private transactions For transactions where a controlling stockholder has a conflict but is not taking the company private: Safe harbor is available through either: Approval by an independent committee comprising at least two disinterested directors, or Approval or ratification by a majority of the votes cast by disinterested stockholders This effectively overrules prior case law requiring both protections for such transactions. 3. Conflicted controller / go-private safe harbor For transactions where a controlling stockholder is taking the company private: Safe harbor requires both: This codifies the dual-protection framework from Kahn v. M&F Worldwide Corp. (MFW) while eliminating the 'ab initio' requirement that these protections be implemented before the start of substantive economic negotiations. Enhanced protection for public company directors The amendments create a strong presumption that directors of public companies are disinterested and independent if they meet stock exchange independence definitions. This presumption: Does not apply if the director is a party to the transaction Can only be rebutted by 'substantial and particularized facts' The amendments also limit controller liability to breaches of loyalty or improper benefits, shielding controlling stockholders from damages for breaches of the duty of care in their capacity as controllers. Section 220: Refining stockholder inspection rights Statutory definition of 'books and records' The amendments provide a statutory definition of 'books and records' to establish clearer boundaries for stockholder inspection rights, including: Enhanced requirements for inspection SB 21 also institutes more structured requirements for books and records inspections: Demands must be conducted in good faith Proper purpose must be described with reasonable particularity Requested records must be specifically related to the stockholder's proper purpose Additionally, the amendments codify that corporations can impose reasonable confidentiality restrictions, limiting the use and distribution of inspected records and redacting irrelevant information. Limited expansion provision Unlike the original bill, the enacted amendments permit the inspection of materials beyond those covered by the 'books and records' definition if a stockholder: Makes a showing of a compelling need for inspection to further a proper purpose, and Demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence that such specific records are necessary and essential to further such purpose This balanced approach is designed to preserve meaningful inspection rights while providing companies with greater certainty about the scope of potential demands. Practical implications For corporate governance: Strategic flexibility in transaction planning: The amendments provide multiple pathways to cleanse conflicted transactions based on the nature of the conflict, enhancing flexibility in transaction structuring. Greater certainty for boards: The presumption of independence for public company directors who meet exchange requirements reduces litigation risk in board decision-making. Protection for controllers: Limiting controller liability to breaches of loyalty or improper benefits shields controlling stockholders from damages for breaches of the duty of care. Streamlined approval processes: Removal of the 'ab initio' requirement and other timing constraints allows more practical implementation of protective measures. For transaction planning: Clearer standards: The 33.33% threshold for controlling stockholder status provides a bright-line rule. Tailored approval paths: Different cleansing options based on transaction type allow more efficient governance approaches. Special committee requirements: Committees must include at least two directors determined to be disinterested and fulfill their duty of care. Modified stockholder approval standard: The shift to a 'votes cast' standard from 'outstanding shares' may make stockholder approval more attainable. For stockholder rights: More defined inspection scope: The statutory definition of 'books and records' provides both corporations and stockholders with greater clarity. Balanced protection: While defining limits to inspection rights, the amendments preserve access to additional records when stockholders can demonstrate compelling need. expand To learn more about King & Spalding's global M&A practice, please visit With nearly 140 years of service, King & Spalding is an international law firm that represents a broad array of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100, with 1,300 lawyers in 24 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Rob Leclerc works with publicly traded and private companies as well as private equity firms to execute mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments, joint ventures and other complex transactions. Leclerc is a partner in our Mergers and Acquisitions and Corporate Governance practices. Zack Davis specializes in representing issuers and underwriters in a variety of capital markets activities in the U.S. and abroad. He also advises a number of public companies in connection with governance issues, SEC reporting and disclosure requirements and other corporate and securities matters.
American Military News
3 hours ago
- American Military News
Supreme Court throws out Mexico's suit against US gun makers in a unanimous decision
Mexico has a severe problem with gun violence, which originates north of the border, the Supreme Court acknowledged Thursday. 'The country has only a single gun store, and issues fewer than 50 gun permits each year. But gun traffickers can purchase firearms in the United States—often in illegal transactions—and deliver them to drug cartels in Mexico,' the court said. These weapons are used to 'commit serious crimes — drug dealing, kidnapping, murder, and others.' Nonetheless, the justices in an unanimous decision threw out Mexico's lawsuit against the U.S. gun industry, ruling that federal law shields gun makers from nearly all liability. Justice Elena Kagan said Congress enacted the law in 2005 to prevent gun companies from being held sued for harms 'caused by the misuse of firearms by third parties, including criminals,' she said. The law has one narrow exception, she said, that would allow suits if the gun companies had knowingly and deliberately helped criminals buy guns to be sent into Mexico. But she said the Mexico's lawsuit did not cite evidence for claim. 'Mexico's complaint does not plausibly allege that the defendant manufacturers aided and abetted gun dealers' unlawful sales of firearms to Mexican traffickers,' she wrote. 'We have little doubt that, as the complaint asserts, some such sales take place.— and that the manufacturers know they do. But still, Mexico has not adequately pleaded what it needs to: that the manufacturers 'participate in' those sales 'as in something that [they] wish[] to bring about.' ___ © 2025 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
