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Three women, named Maritza Perez Rios, 47, Marina Perez Rios, 48, and Dora Alicia Cervantes Saenz, 53, reportedly crossed the border into Mexico to sell clothes at a flea market on February 24.
Maritza and Marina Perez Rios are sisters from Texas, and Dora is a common friend. The three disappeared after driving to the flea market in Montemorelos.
Just a few days back, four American citizens were abducted in Mexico, and footage capturing the entire incident went viral as well. Later, authorities found the citizens, but two were already dead and one had sustained injuries.
The family of the missing sisters and their friend have been in contact with Mexican authorities, who are looking into the matter.
Marina Perez Rios was reported missing after she went to Mexico to a flea market with her sister and friend
On February 24, US Customs and Border Protection stated that three women had crossed the border and entered Mexico. Marina Perez Rios, her sister Maritza. and their friend Dora Alicia Cervantes Saenz were traveling to a flea market.
The husband of one of the women was reportedly in contact with her while she was on this trip to Mexico, however, he got concerned when he couldn’t contact her anymore.
Peñitas Police Chief Roel Bermea said:
“Since he couldn’t make contact over that weekend, he came in that Monday and reported it to us.”
Authorities revealed that Marina Perez Rioz, her sister, and her friend, were traveling from Texas to Montemorelos in a green mid-1990s Chevy Silverado. According to the state prosecutor’s office, they have been investigating the women’s disappearance since Monday.
Ludy Arredondo, a cousin of Maritza and Marina Perez Rios, said:
“Today is day 16 and we still don’t know about my cousins Maritza Perez, Marina Perez, and Dora Cervantes.”
Ludy further described her missing cousins as “hard-working, honest women" and further mentioned that the family has been living “exhausting, desperate days” since the three disappeared in Mexico.
A relative of Marina Perez Rios, believes that the law enforcement agencies aren’t doing enough to find the missing women
Arredondo further added:
“They only went to work. So far, the FBI has joined their search after so many days of their disappearance, time is ticking and not in their favor.”
The FBI released a statement addressing the situation and said:
“[The agency] relentlessly pursues all options when it comes to protecting the American people, and this doesn’t change when they are endangered across the border.”
Despite the reported efforts put in by the FBI, Ludy Arredondo believes they are not enough to locate the three missing women. She continued by saying,
“So far, we do not have a single piece of news, the authorities do not say anything, and they do not have clues. Please do not leave us alone and keep sharing.”
The incident made headlines after four Americans were kidnapped in Mexico on March 3, and footage capturing the incident went viral.
In this case, authorities stated that they were kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel that mistook them for Haitian drug smugglers. Four US citizens were found. However, the two were dead by then.
