The bodies of a Chicago couple, reported missing earlier this year, were discovered last week near Mexico City, their family disclosed on Wednesday.
U.S. citizen Zafar Padamese Mawani and his partner Guillermo Jafett Hidalgo Ortiz, who vanished in May while in the southern region of Mexico’s capital, were among the deceased.
Following several arrests connected to their disappearance, authorities launched a search for the couple, who had relocated from Chicago to Mexico City.
Information from the detainees directed authorities to a mountainous area, where they uncovered four unidentified bodies.
On Wednesday, Mawani’s family confirmed that Mexican authorities had identified their loved ones among the deceased, immersing their community in mourning.
“We are grateful beyond words to everyone who tried to help bring Zafar home to us — investigators on the ground, our core strategy and support team, authorities in both countries, generous volunteer organizations, as well as friends and loved ones who stepped forward to help without being asked,” the family wrote in a statement.
Mawani and Hidalgo Ortiz lived in Chicago and Mexico City, according to Cate Taylor, a spokesperson for Mawani’s family.
NBC News Chicago reported in late May that the men were spending time in Mexico to care for Mawani’s mother. The outlet also reported unusual withdrawals from the couple’s bank accounts.
According to the federal government’s official missing-person bulletin, Mawani was 56 and a US citizen. The bulletin for Hidalgo Ortiz, issued by Mexico City authorities, states that he was also 56.
It does not specify his nationality, but notes that he was with Mawani when they disappeared south of Mexico City, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) east of the mountains of La Marquesa National Park.
More than 135,000 people are missing in Mexico as a product of criminal violence, according to the most recent federal data. The number missing continues to climb even as homicide figures have sharply dropped since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office in 2024.
A total of 977 people were reported missing in Mexico during the month of May, according to the country’s official missing persons registry.
In recent days, relatives’ groups have staged protests while Mexico serves as a co-host of the FIFA World Cup.
They are demanding greater attention to the issue and more resources for searches, which are generally led by family members themselves. One of their recurring complaints is that authorities act more quickly when the missing people are foreigners.