The ongoing search for Nancy Guthrie, 84, in southern Arizona has not yielded any proof suggesting she was taken over the U.S.–Mexico border. Although experts highlight that federal border protocols are typically engaged in cases of disappearances near such international boundaries, local authorities have found no signs supporting this theory.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos shared with Fox News’ Jonathan Hunt that current investigations do not hint at Guthrie being moved into Mexico.

“I’m confident the FBI has also explored this avenue, but we’ve found nothing,” Nanos remarked. “We follow every lead… like anyone would. We’re aware of how close we are to Mexico, which makes it a consideration, but no evidence supports it at this stage.”

Despite the absence of evidence linking Guthrie’s case to Mexico, retired FBI supervisory special agent Jason Pack points out that international cooperation isn’t reliant on confirmed evidence.

Fox News drone footage showed investigators revisiting Guthrie’s residence on Friday, February 6, 2026. Guthrie was last seen on a Saturday evening, prompting ongoing investigations into her disappearance. (Source: Fox News Flight Team)

“Whenever a disappearance happens near an international border, specific federal protocols are automatically triggered, irrespective of whether there’s definitive evidence of a border crossing,” Pack explained to Fox News Digital.

According to Pack, the FBI maintains dedicated Border Liaison Agents stationed along the southern border who work directly with Mexican law enforcement counterparts in real time.

“That coordination happens at the working level, in real time, without waiting for a formal case to develop,” he explained.

FBI investigators search Catalina Foothills in Tucson, Arizona, Wednesday, Feb.11, 2026. The investigations into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie continues. (DWS for Fox News Digital)

Those agents operate alongside the FBI’s Legal Attaché office in Mexico City, which serves as the bridge between FBI Headquarters, the U.S. Embassy, and Mexico’s federal attorney general’s office, he added. 

“These are not reactive positions,” Pack said. “They exist precisely so that when something like this happens, the relationships and channels are already in place.”

Pack stressed that Sheriff Nanos is being “accurate and responsible” in stating there is no indication Guthrie was taken into Mexico. However, he added a key investigative distinction.

An undated photo of Nancy Guthrie was provided by NBC in response to the disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host, Savannah Guthrie. (Courtesy of NBC)

“From an investigative standpoint, the absence of evidence is not the same as evidence of absence,” Pack said. “Border protocols don’t require a confirmed lead. They require geographic proximity and a missing person. Both boxes are checked here.”

If cross-border movement were ever to become a credible line of inquiry, Pack said the formal mechanism for cooperation would be a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty request, known as an MLAT.

“An MLAT allows U.S. authorities to formally request that Mexican authorities preserve evidence, conduct interviews, or share records,” he explained. That process runs through the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and can move quickly “when there’s urgency and diplomatic goodwill — which currently exists between the two governments at the law enforcement level.”

For now, authorities say there is no evidence Guthrie crossed into Mexico. Pack noted that established border coordination protocols are designed for cases occurring near the international boundary.

The search continues as investigators follow every available lead.

Nancy Guthrie disappearance timeline:

Jan. 31, 2026

Between 9:30–9:45 p.m. — Family drops Nancy off at home

9:50 p.m. — Garage door closes (per authorities)

Feb. 1, 2026

1:47 a.m. — Doorbell camera disconnects

2:12 a.m. — Security camera detects motion

2:28 a.m. — Pacemaker disconnects from phone application

11:56 a.m. — Family checks on Nancy after she misses weekly church livestream gathering

12:03 p.m. — 911 called

12:15 p.m. — Sheriff’s deputies arrive at home

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.