An American family visiting Durango, Mexico, was ambushed near the town of Las Palmas, within the Santiago Papasquiaro municipality. The attack resulted in the deaths of three family members, leaving a 14-year-old boy in critical condition.
The incident occurred while Chicago, Illinois resident Vicente Peña Jr. and his two sons, teenager Jason Peña, and an unnamed nine-year-old, were on holiday in Mexico visiting relatives.
The victims were Vicente Peña, his brother Antonio Fernandez, and Jorge Eduardo Vargas Aguirre, a 22-year-old Mexican resident. The only survivor, Peña’s teenage son Jason, was critically injured during the attack.
Julia Contreras, from the non-profit organization United Giving Hope, worked with the family and reached out to the U.S. State Department to help repatriate the injured boy and his surviving family members. “As you can only imagine, this is a nightmare for his mother. And right now, what we’re trying to do is provide that advocacy and security,” said Contreras.
Maria Elena Hernandez, Jason’s grandmother, relayed the painful account of a tearful phone call from her daughter detailing the tragic event to WLS. Hernandez, who was in Chicago, Illinois when the incident happened, expressed her daughter’s overwhelming grief and uncertainty following the tragedy.
Vicente Peña, the boy’s grandfather, expressed his despair to WMAQ-TV, referring to the incident as a “massacre” that has brought devastation to their family. He narrated in Spanish the horrific details of his son’s death, who was “shot four times in the head,” according to the report.
The attack occurred in January, when Jason’s father, his uncle Antonio Fernandez, and Jorge Eduardo Vargas Aguirre left their home to buy supplies, as per family spokesperson Julia Contreras. The nine-year-old was home with his grandfather and texted his brother when they did not return. When he did not hear back from Jason, the boy’s grandfather alerted the authorities who found their Illinois-registered SUV and the three men’s bodies, each with multiple gunshot wounds.
So far, Mexican authorities have not revealed a motive for the attack. However, local residents reportedly avoid traveling on the highway after dark due to cartel activity, according to Contreras.
Jason was initially treated locally before being airlifted to the Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. His mother, who has requested anonymity due to safety concerns in Mexico, accompanied him. As of February, 2025, he was reportedly “improving.”
U.S. Embassy officials in Mexico confirmed the deaths of the two Americans in Santiago Papasquiaro, and also reported a minor injured in the attack. Investigations into the incident are underway by Mexican authorities in Durango, with the embassy providing support to the victims’ families, though updates are currently limited.
The ambush comes against the backdrop of a rising tide of violent crime in Durango and other parts of Mexico. The U.S. State Department has issued travel advisories alerting American citizens to the heightened risk of violent crime, including homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery in the region.
Jason’s mother launched a SpotFund campaign, revealing that her son had traveled to Durango, Mexico, with his father, brother, and uncle to celebrate his birthday and visit family.
The Durango Attorney General’s Office revealed on Monday, January 6, 2025, that Iram Uranga Armendariz has been formally charged in connection with the attack. Armendariz received a prison sentence of 66 years, seven months, and nine days. The incident reportedly targeted men accused of failing to pay Armendariz $250,000 for a land purchase.
