Five Quebecers arrested in Puerto Vallarta on New Year’s Eve remain behind bars somewhere outside Mexico City, but it is still unclear why they were detained and handed over to military police, and in which way they were subsequently “mistreated.”

A spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Canada would not release the names of the five men, but did say that consular officials in Mexico City are now in contact with them and their families in Canada, and have been to visit the detainees twice since their arrest.

The Foreign Affairs department has also contacted its Mexican counterpart, to address allegations of mistreatment and the delay by Mexican authorities in informing the Canadian embassy of the arrests. The detainees were not allowed to make any phone calls themselves until January 4, five days after their arrests.