Peruvian mining sector worker Frank Monzón was aware of the risks, but the lure of gold deep in the Andean rock of northern Pataz province outweighed the danger. Now he and 12 others are dead in one of the country's worst mining massacres.

In Peru's Pataz province, illegal gold mining has led to violence, claiming 13 lives in a tragic incident. Despite gold's allure, communities suffer from poverty and criminal activities linked to illegal mining operations,

Peru is assigning the military with the task of regaining control of a mineral-rich area of the country’s northern highlands after 13 gold-mine workers were kidnapped and murdered.