Six young people from Jalisco disappeared in the days before or after their graduation ceremonies. The cases fall into two groups: three students from CECyTEJ in Puerto Vallarta and three high school graduates in Guadalajara, all between the ages of 14 and 18.
The number reveals a pattern that worries authorities and families: the end-of-year school celebration period becomes a time of high vulnerability for teenagers in the state.
On June 25, Flor Yoselin Espinoza Contreras (18 years old), Elvira Monserrat Guzmán Mascorro (14 years old), and José Israel Ramos Mejía (17 years old) were waiting for transportation at the bus stop known as “El Zancudo,” on state highway 544, in the Ixtapa district. According to their families, a group of men intercepted them and kidnapped them before they could reach their graduation ceremony at the College of Scientific and Technological Studies of the State of Jalisco (CECyTEJ).
The National Search Commission issued alerts, and state authorities deployed search operations in the area. The Jalisco Attorney General’s Office is continuing its investigation to determine the whereabouts of the three young men and identify those responsible.
On July 2, the Jalisco Attorney General’s Office confirmed in a press conference that recruitment by organized crime is an active line of investigation in the case. The agency specified that, so far, there is no evidence that the young men used any ride-hailing app to leave the municipality, although they are working to determine what type of vehicle they used.
A key piece of information in the investigation is that, after June 25, the victims maintained telephone contact with their families. They told them they were safe but could not return home “for the time being.” The Prosecutor’s Office warned that these calls are part of the case file and are being carefully analyzed.
