Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua - An extensive search for a missing American teenager ended in tragedy as Chihuahua authorities announced they found her body buried in the backyard of a Juárez home, nearly two weeks after she was kidnapped. The victim, identified only by her initials D.C.LL.G., was a 17-year-old girl from Hobbs, New Mexico who vanished during a trip to Ciudad Juárez earlier this month.
According to the Chihuahua State Prosecutor’s Office, the girl traveled to Juárez on July 16 to visit a young man she had met online. By July 19, her family in New Mexico received alarming WhatsApp messages from unknown captors demanding a ransom for her release, along with photos and videos showing the teen in captivity. The family immediately contacted U.S. and Mexican authorities. The Chihuahua Special Prosecutor for Strategic Operations (FEOE) took charge of the case on the Mexican side.
Binational investigation launched
Following the ransom messages, a binational investigation was launched. On July 22, acting on intelligence, Chihuahua state police raided a house on Sierra Moncayo street in the Urbi Villa del Cedro fraccionamiento (a developing area in southeast Juárez). In the yard, officers noticed recently disturbed soil. Investigators from the Forensic Science Directorate and a canine unit were brought in, and a clandestine grave was uncovered in the patio, revealing a female body.
Dental records and tattoos confirmed the victim as the missing 17-year-old American. The cause of death was asphyxiation by strangulation, and she had also suffered blunt force trauma and stab wounds. “The victim presented signs of violence – she was beaten and had knife injuries – before being strangled,” said Chihuahua Attorney General César Jáuregui. A forensic tattoo specialist noted the girl’s identifiable tattoos: butterflies and an “XOXO” script on her arms, which matched descriptions given by family.
Persistent violence in Juárez
It appears the kidnappers killed the teen and attempted to hide her body even as they continued ransom negotiations. The horrifying outcome has underscored persistent violence in Juárez and the exploitation of cross-border ties by criminal groups. Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos lamented the crime, extending condolences to the family and vowing coordination with U.S. authorities to catch those responsible.
At least one arrest has been made. The Chihuahua Prosecutor’s Office revealed that on July 25, after moving the case to the FEOE (indicating it was no longer being treated as a gender violence case but rather organized crime), a suspect was detained in connection with the kidnapping plot. Officials have not named the suspect, but local media (El Diario de Juárez) reported he is a Juárez man possibly linked to a small extortion gang. It’s suspected the girl was lured under false pretenses – possibly a romantic meeting – only to be held for ransom in a scheme known as “virtual kidnapping” where Americans are targeted.
FBI involved from the start
The family of the victim in Hobbs, NM, is devastated. They had hoped for her safe return and even had begun to arrange ransom money, according to a relative’s social media post. U.S. agencies, including the FBI were involved from the start, given the cross-border nature – the victim was a U.S. citizen abducted abroad – and they continue to assist Mexican authorities. An FBI spokesperson in El Paso said, “We are working closely with Chihuahua state officials to ensure all individuals involved in this heinous crime are identified and brought to justice.”
This case highlights a worrying trend of Americans being targeted in Juárez. While not common, there have been instances of U.S. residents enticed to the city (often via social media relationships or criminal scams) and then kidnapped. Ciudad Juárez, just across from El Paso, Texas, is a busy border city that in recent years has struggled with high homicide and kidnapping rates tied to organized crime.
Possible feminicide case
Chihuahua’s Special Prosecutor for Women (FEM) initially opened a case when the teen was reported missing, treating it as a possible feminicide (gender-motivated killing) due to her gender. But once the victim was confirmed as the missing American and evidence pointed to a kidnapping for ransom, the case was turned over to the FEOE, which handles complex organized crime incidents. The transfer happened on July 25, the day after the body was found.
Investigators are now tracing cellphones and messaging accounts used to send the ransom demands. It’s possible that more suspects – including the person who posed as a friend to lure the victim – are at large. They are also examining whether this kidnapping ring has ties to any of the cartels or splinter groups operating in Juárez. In recent years, smaller criminal cells have engaged in kidnapping-for-ransom independent of the larger drug organizations.
Candlelight vigil at the “Gloria al Policía Caído”
For Juárez residents and visitors, the crime is a grim reminder of the city’s past notoriety for abductions during the drug war's peak. Local advocacy groups in Juárez held a candlelight vigil at the “Gloria al Policía Caído” park downtown to honor the victim and call for safer streets. They placed a photo of the young woman surrounded by flowers and hand-lettered signs reading “No Más Violencia” (No More Violence).
The case also casts a shadow on cross-border mobility. Hobbs, NM is over 200 miles from Juárez, meaning the teen traveled a significant distance – possibly with someone – to get there. U.S. Consulate officials in Juárez reiterated travel advisories that categorize the state of Chihuahua as “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” due to crime and kidnapping. They urge U.S. citizens to exercise extreme caution and to inform friends or family of travel plans to Mexico.
As the investigation continues, Chihuahua authorities say they won’t rest until every perpetrator is caught. “This was a particularly cruel crime – a young girl with her whole life ahead of her, taken and murdered,” said Prosecutor Jáuregui. “We will do everything in our power, in coordination with our U.S. counterparts, to see that justice is done for her and her family.”
