Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Oct. 9, 2026 — Two young men missing for several months were found alive Sept. 30 in Puerto Vallarta’s Ixtapa district following an investigation into suspected recruitment through fraudulent job offers.
The men, identified as Carlos Gaudiel Mitoma Pérez, 21, and Luis Ángel Olivo Patiño, 24, have been reunited with their families, Jalisco authorities said.
Authorities first announced the rescue on Oct. 2. An October 9 report renewed attention to the case, including allegations of recruitment linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
Investigation Leads Authorities to Ixtapa Neighborhood
The investigation brought state and federal security personnel to Ixtapa, a residential and commercial area of Puerto Vallarta away from the city’s main tourist districts.
According to information released by the Jalisco prosecutor’s office on Oct. 2, investigators located the two men during a coordinated operation involving the state’s Vice Prosecutor’s Office for Missing Persons, the Mexican military and Jalisco State Police.
On Oct. 1, investigators inspected a property in the Los Tamarindos neighborhood of Ixtapa that authorities linked to the case.
Officials reported finding clothing, tactical boots and other potential evidence. Investigators secured the property as they examined its possible connection to the men’s disappearance.
The prosecutor’s office said the operation helped authorities “locate them in Puerto Vallarta and safeguard their well-being,” according to its public statement.
The two men had been reported missing from different cities outside Puerto Vallarta. The investigation therefore involves both the suspected recruitment process and the circumstances that brought them to the coastal municipality.
Job Offer Promised Employment in Canada
Carlos was reported missing April 27 after leaving his home in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, in the Guadalajara metropolitan area.
His mother, Eva Mitoma, subsequently provided additional details about his disappearance and return.
According to her account, Carlos had met someone through social media who offered him employment in Canada.
He went to a residence believing he would attend a job interview. His telephones were subsequently taken away, leaving his family unable to contact him.
Although prosecutors initially described both men as being in good health, Carlos’ family reported that he returned with bruises. His mother said he would receive psychological attention following a recommendation from the prosecutor’s office.
Luis, who lived in Toluca, State of Mexico, had been missing since March 26.
Authorities in Jalisco coordinated with the State of Mexico prosecutor’s office to arrange his return to his family.
The recovery ended months of searching for both families, but investigators have continued examining the circumstances surrounding their disappearances.
Authorities Examine Suspected Criminal Recruitment
The investigation centers on allegations that deceptive employment opportunities were used to contact and recruit the two men.
Jalisco authorities said the offers circulated through digital platforms and informal personal contacts.
An Oct. 9 account of the investigation alleged that the CJNG was involved in the recruitment and that communication between one of the young men and his mother helped investigators locate them.
That account also raised the possibility that the men had been subjected to forced labor.
However, the prosecutor’s initial Oct. 2 disclosure identified fraudulent employment offers without publicly attributing the operation to a specific criminal organization.
Our review of the earlier reporting confirms that the men were recovered Sept. 30, rather than during a new operation on Oct. 9.
Investigators have not publicly established individual criminal responsibility in the case.
Similar Recruitment Cases Have Been Reported in Jalisco
The use of employment opportunities to attract potential victims has appeared in other criminal investigations across Jalisco.
That was a separate investigation, but both cases involved allegations that online job offers were used to approach young people.
For Puerto Vallarta residents, the latest case establishes a specific local connection through the Ixtapa operation and the property investigated in Los Tamarindos.
The Jalisco prosecutor’s office continues investigating who contacted the two men, how they ended up in Puerto Vallarta, and who may have been responsible for their disappearance.
