Three Texas Women Missing in Mexico, Prompts Concerns over Safety for Americans
Channel: YUxxY
Date: 2023-03-12

Three women from Texas, Maritza Trinidad Perez Rios, 47, Marina Perez Rios, 48, and Dora Alicia Cervantes Saenz, 53, who crossed into Mexico on February 24th to sell clothes at a flea market, have been missing for over two weeks. Their disappearance comes in the wake of the abduction of four Americans on March 3rd in the Mexican border city of Matamoros, which is about 300 miles from Montemorelos, where the women were headed. Two of the Americans were killed, and the other two returned to the United States for medical treatment. Six suspects have been arrested in connection with the kidnapping, and the Gulf Cartel has apologized and turned over five of its members to local authorities.

In contrast, there has been little media attention or government response to the disappearance of the three Texas women, highlighting the challenges facing Mexican authorities and the difficulties encountered by families and friends of victims seeking help from U.S. officials. The FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have been made aware of the missing women, and Mexican authorities are investigating their disappearance.

The husband of one of the women spoke to her by phone while she was traveling in Mexico, but grew concerned when he couldn't reach her afterward. "Since he couldn't make contact over that weekend, he came in that Monday and reported it to us," Peñitas Police Chief Roel Bermea said. The three women haven't been heard from since. They were traveling in a green mid-1990s Chevy Silverado to a flea market in the city of Montemorelos, in Nuevo Leon state. The state prosecutor's office has been investigating their disappearance since Monday.

The lack of information about the missing women has prompted concern from U.S. officials and renewed attention to the safety of Americans traveling to Mexico. The State Department currently has a Level 3 travel advisory in place for Mexico, warning Americans to "reconsider travel" due to crime and kidnapping. The advisory specifically cautions against travel to the states of Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa, and Tamaulipas.

Mexico has long struggled with drug-related violence and organized crime, and despite efforts by the government to address the problem, homicides and disappearances continue to rise. According to the National Human Rights Commission, there were 80,533 missing persons cases in Mexico as of March 2022. The vast majority of the cases involve Mexican nationals, but foreigners are not immune to the violence. In recent years, several American tourists have been killed or disappeared while visiting Mexico.

The lack of attention to the missing women highlights the challenges faced by families seeking help from U.S. officials when their loved ones go missing in Mexico. The State Department has faced criticism for not doing enough to assist Americans who have been victims of crime or have gone missing in Mexico. In 2019, a report by the Government Accountability Office found that the State Department had failed to provide adequate support to families of Americans who had been victims of violence or gone missing in Mexico.

The report recommended that the State Department improve its communication with families, provide more information about the resources available to them, and work with Mexican authorities to ensure that missing person cases are investigated thoroughly. The State Department has since implemented some changes, including establishing a new protocol for assisting families of missing Americans and creating a new Missing Persons Task Force.

Despite these efforts, families of missing Americans still face significant obstacles when seeking help from U.S. officials. The process of reporting a missing person to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in Mexico can be difficult, and families often have to navigate a complex and confusing system.

The disappearance of these women highlights the ongoing issue of violence and crime in Mexico, particularly against women. In recent years, Mexico has seen a sharp rise in femicides, with more than 3,700 women killed in 2020 alone, according to government data. These crimes often go unpunished, with many victims' families left without answers or justice.

The lack of information and updates on the missing women has left their families in a state of distress and uncertainty. The sister of one of the missing women, Maritza Trinidad Perez Rios, spoke to CNN, pleading for any information on her whereabouts. "We just want to know where they are, if they're alive or dead, we just want to find them," she said.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government has also been monitoring the situation and working with Mexican authorities to provide assistance. In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico said it was "aware of reports of the disappearance of U.S. citizens and is monitoring the situation closely."