Evelyn Garcia Medina
Mothers in Mexico search for their missing children with little to no help from authorities, risking their lives against the oppressors: cartels.
Protesters wear masks with their missing loved one’s face. Montecruz Foto. CC BY-SA 2.0.
Mexico is filled with culture, music, food and dance, but there is another side to Mexico that tourists aren’t likely to encounter. For locals, they must worry about the cartel: a criminal organization that specializes in the production, trafficking and sale of illegal drugs. This powerful Mexican group causes a lot of disappearances through other crimes, like kidnappings, turf wars and murders. Oftentimes, corrupt police officers or even entire stations are suspected of being involved, refusing to further investigate. Countless mothers of the missing people have joined together and created search groups to find answers about their loved ones.
Three cartel members detained by police. Jesus Villaseca Perez. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
The “madres buscadoras,” or searching mothers of Mexico, are a group of activist women looking for their missing children who disappeared without any definitive explanation as to why or how. Over 100,000 people are currently missing in Mexico, and the number continues to increase. The searching mothers have stories of their children being offered good-paying jobs or fighting in turf wars against the cartel before disappearing. Still, sometimes their children have just vanished with no trace.
Protest booth for missing students in Veracruz, Mexico. Adam Jones. CC BY-SA 2.0.
One of the leading problems for the searching mothers is a lack of help from authorities. Mothers have repeatedly asked and protested to authority figures to investigate their children’s missing persons reports, but nothing tends to be done about it. One mother, Ana Enamorado, says, “I’ve said it clearly: there’s collusion between criminal groups and the authorities.” While this can be very discouraging, the mothers took matters into their own hands and formed the madres buscadoras groups in different parts of Mexico to lead search efforts. When they’re not searching for information on the internet, the mothers bring their shovels to potential grave sites, sometimes acquired through anonymous tips, and dig until an officer or even a cartel member asks them to leave. Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International, an organization fighting against human rights violations, says, “Women searchers carry out an incredibly important role in defending human rights in an exceptionally hostile environment.” Progress was made in 2018, when they found charred bone fragments hidden in a well in Chihuahua, Mexico. In 2025, they discovered an extermination center with bones, clothes and toy remains in Jalisco, Mexico.
Dusty shoe washed ashore in Mexico. Dustin Phillips. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Searching for missing people in a country filled with corrupt and violent crime is a dangerous job, a danger that these mothers face every day. At least 16 women searchers have been killed, and many other women report facing encounters meant to stop their search efforts. This includes extortion, torture, sexual violence, kidnappings and more. Looking for the missing can be challenging and intimidating, but the love a mother has for their child runs unconditionally.
Evelyn Garcia Medina
Evelyn is a recent Chicana graduate with a B.A. in English and Comparative Literature. Born and raised in the Bay Area, she draws inspiration from her passions: her cultural roots, environmentalism, and human rights. In her free time, she goes on hikes and enjoys learning about current social issues, history, and animals.