Cross-Border Solidarity: Veteran Mexican Search Group Joins Hunt for Nancy Guthrie

A group of Mexican mothers, veterans of the search for missing persons in the Mexican state of Sonora, have arrived in Arizona to assist in the search for Nancy Guthrie.

Initially, the group, “Searching Mothers of Sonora” (Madres Buscadoras de Sonora), applied for a permit to conduct a field search in the Arizona desert. The search was scheduled to begin on Tuesday, but the local sheriff denied the request, arguing that it could interfere with the official investigation.

Nevertheless, the “Mothers”—a nationwide network of volunteer mothers and wives—are determined to continue the search. Some have traveled to Arizona to distribute flyers bearing Guthrie’s image, while others remain in Mexico to search the border town of Nogales.

The group’s presence in Arizona comes as the search for Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, enters its fourth week. Guthrie was last seen on January 31 before she was apparently abducted from her secluded home in the Catalina Hills of Arizona outside of Tucson, about 60 miles from the Mexican border.

On Tuesday, Savannah Guthrie announced in an Instagram video that her family is offering a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to the whereabouts of her mother. This was the first statement released by the Guthrie family in over a week.

While the case continues to garner widespread attention, the pace of updates from authorities regarding the investigation has slowed.

Cecilia Flores, president of the organization, told CNN, “We are here to help in any way we can. We will do everything we can to help this family. Nancy is a mother who deserves to be reunited with her family.”

The group says a friend of the Guthrie family asked for their help. However, their presence was not welcomed by some local residents, particularly after some of them conducted a limited search in a waterway near Guthrie’s home.

“Neighbors came out yelling at us and telling us to leave, claiming it’s private property,” said Lupita Tello, one of the mothers.

“We want to explore the surrounding area, the exits, everything, even the main exits from the main streets,” she added, but noted that they haven’t been able to conduct a “thorough search because of the laws and regulations here.”

Tello continued, “I respect the laws and regulations, but I don’t know where we can search without running into problems with people, because they simply aren’t cooperating.”

When asked about the mothers, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department told CNN, “We appreciate their concern… We all want to find Nancy, but it’s best to leave this work to the professionals.”

They added, “We have volunteer opportunities for those who want to join the department. Private property laws apply. Every property owner has the right to grant permission for anyone to be on their property.”

Who are the Searching Mothers?

Flores founded the Searching Mothers of Sonora after her three children disappeared in 2015 and 2019. It is believed that the three were abducted by organized crime groups, a growing crisis in Mexico.

Since its founding in 2019, the organization has grown into a national network that has helped locate more than 5,000 people across the country, both alive and deceased.

The group has extensive experience in field searches in remote areas where drug cartels typically dispose of their victims. However, Flores acknowledges that many searches end in failure, leaving families in agonizing uncertainty, as she herself experienced.

Flores said one of her sons was eventually returned from his captors, and she still hopes to find her two missing children.

She told CNN that the pain and uncertainty are what drive the searchers to continue, despite the negative impact on their health.

“Hope fades gradually, day by day,” Flores said. “The body is exhausted. The truth is, this despair is so intense that we are getting sicker every day.”

While Flores’ team is searching for any evidence that Guthrie may have been taken to Mexico, Mexican authorities have denied this possibility.

“The FBI has informed us that they currently have no leads indicating that this woman is in Mexico,” Carlos Flores, the commissioner general of Sonora’s Criminal Investigation Agency, told reporters on February 19.

Sonora Attorney General Gustavo Rómulo Salas added that they have not received any request from the FBI to search for her within Mexican territory.

According to a law enforcement official familiar with the matter, officials on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border have previously been asked to search for any evidence that might aid the case as part of standard investigative procedures. The official added that investigators have briefed U.S. Border Patrol agents and Mexican law enforcement authorities on the latest developments.