Family and friends of two U.S. citizens originally from Chicago have requested the urgent intervention of their country’s authorities following the couple’s recent disappearance in the Mexican capital. The Mexico City Attorney General’s Office has released missing person bulletins featuring official photographs of Zafar Padamsee Mawani and Guillermo Jaffet Hidalgo Ortiz—a married couple who had been residing in the city for just a few months and whose whereabouts have been unknown since last Wednesday.
According to accounts gathered by the news station ABC7 Chicago, the couple decided to relocate from Illinois to Mexico last October. They established their new residence in a neighborhood located in the far south of Mexico City—an area where local police are currently focusing their initial investigative efforts and their review of footage from the city’s urban surveillance camera network.
The last contact with the men occurred on Wednesday. Guillermo’s niece told local media that the couple left their home with the intention of meeting with an alleged contractor. The purpose of the trip was to pick up specialized equipment intended for the care of one of their elderly mothers, a woman of advanced age who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. After leaving their residence to complete this pickup, the two men lost all contact with their immediate circle.
Given the lack of immediate progress in locating the couple locally, the community surrounding the victims in Chicago has launched a pressure campaign to involve U.S. federal agencies. Meanwhile, representatives from the news station confirmed that they have established direct communication with both the Consulate General of Mexico and the U.S. Department of State in an effort to obtain detailed updates regarding the status of the bilateral investigations.
Mexico City security agencies are currently conducting a search operation in the southern perimeter of the city and are requesting the public’s assistance in providing any information that might help locate the couple. The case has sparked deep concern among the community of foreign residents due to the unusual circumstances surrounding the meeting with the alleged technical supplier.
