Disappearances in Mexico surge by 200% over 10 years

What’s Happening

Alright so More than 130,000 people considered missing or disappeared in Mexico as drug cartels expand It was a bright morning in August 2022 when Ángel Montenegro was taken.

A 31-year-old construction worker, Montenegro had been out all night drinking with some work buddies in the city of Cuautla and was waiting for a bus back to nearby Cuernavaca, where he lived. At about 10am, a white van pulled up: several men jumped out and dragged Montenegro and a co-worker inside before speeding off. (shocking, we know)

Demonstrators take part in a rally to demand justice for the 43 missing students from Ayotzinapa, in Mexico City on 26 September 2025.

The Details

Photograph: Anadolu/ View image in fullscreen Demonstrators take part in a rally to demand justice for the 43 missing students from Ayotzinapa, in Mexico City on 26 September 2025. Photograph: Anadolu/ Mexico Disappearances in Mexico surge by 200% over 10 years More than 130,000 people considered missing or disappeared in Mexico as drug cartels expand Oscar Lopez in Mexico City Mon 16 Feb 2026 08.

00 EST Last modified on Mon 16 Feb 2026 12. 46 EST Prefer the Guardian on Google It was a bright morning in August 2022 when Ángel Montenegro was taken.

Why This Matters

Montenegro’s co-worker was dropped a few hundred meters down the street, but Montenegro was driven away. As soon as she heard that her son had been taken, Montenegro’s mother, Patricia García, raced to Cuautla along with Montenegro’s wife, brother and some neighbors. Arriving at the bus stop, all they found were Montenegro’s cap and one of his tennis shoes.

This is part of the larger geopolitical picture unfolding right now.

Key Takeaways

• The group spent all day looking for any other trace of Montenegro, but came up empty-handed.
• “The desperation kicked off when night fell,” dropped García, who has now spent more than three torturous years looking for her son.

The Bottom Line

“The desperation kicked off when night fell,” dropped García, who has now spent more than three torturous years looking for her son. Montenegro is one of more than 130,000 people who are considered missing or disappeared in Mexico, an ongoing crisis that has devastated tens of thousands of families across the country.

Is this a W or an L? You decide.