A Chicago couple reported missing in Mexico were among several people found dead last week on the outskirts of Mexico City, their family confirmed Wednesday.
U.S. citizen Zafar Padamese Mawani and his partner, Guillermo Jafett Hidalgo Ortiz, disappeared in May while they were south of the Mexican capital.
The two men, who had relocated together from Chicago to Mexico City, had been the focus of a search by authorities following multiple arrests connected to the investigation.
According to Mexican prosecutors, people detained in the case later directed investigators to a search area in the mountains, where officials discovered four bodies that had not initially been identified.
On Wednesday, Mawani’s family said Mexican authorities had confirmed the deaths of both men, sharing their grief while thanking those who aided in the effort to find them.
“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 said in a statement.
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Mawani and Hidalgo Ortiz split their time between Chicago and Mexico City, according to Cate Taylor, a spokesperson for Mawani’s family.
NBC News Chicago reported in late May that the couple had been in Mexico to help care for Mawani’s mother. The station also reported that unusual withdrawals had been made from the men’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.
