13-year-old girl dies at militarized summer camp in Tamaulipas, Mexico

Dafne Zapata Quintos, a 13‑year‑old who practiced boxing and dance, entered a private militarized summer camp in Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas on 13 July in good health. Four days later she was found dead. The state Attorney General’s Office opened an investigation and the official autopsy reported death by asphyxia due to drowning, noting excess water in the lungs and possible bodily injuries.

The girl's mother, Alejandra Quintos, has demanded an independent medical examination, alleging opaque treatment of her daughter and pointing to a video the teen sent showing facial bruises and a lip injury. Camp director Jorge Luis Ponce denied any abuse or negligence, stating that staff followed protocol, that a medical specialist examined the girl after an initial faint and declared her stable, and that the camp operates under private academy guidelines.

The case has sparked public outrage on social media, with families and human‑rights groups calling for accountability and clearer oversight of such militarized youth programs in Mexico.