American couple discovered dead in mass grave near Mexico City

Guillermo Jaffet Hidalgo Ortiz (57) and Zafar Padamsee Mawani (56), a gay couple from Chicago who had relocated to Mexico City in October 2023, were reported missing on May 20. Their bodies were located on June 17 in a wooded area of La Marquesa National Park outside the capital, alongside two other victims believed to be a married couple.

Mexican authorities confirmed the couple’s identities through DNA testing and have arrested seven people in connection with the crime, including a former police officer alleged to have led the kidnapping and robbery gang and two suspects of Venezuelan origin. The investigation highlighted evidence of violence at the scene. The U.S. Embassy was notified, though details were not disclosed.

The case adds to Mexico’s ongoing crisis of disappearances, with over 135,000 missing persons nationwide, and underscores rising anti‑LGBTQ hate crimes, which advocacy groups say have surged in recent years.