Disappearance Stories

A Warning To Travelers Visiting Central America

Below I’ve outlined some well known stories of disappearances in Central America. 

I live in Central America. I know how fun it can be to travel to different cities, visit ruins, swim in crystal clear water and go “off the beaten path”. The best experiences of my life are from my backpacking trips in Mexico, Central America and South America.

However, it would be dishonest for me not to offer a serious token of caution to my fellow backpacker friends. My goal is not to sensationalize the stories below. My goal is to create awareness and ensure that everyone is safe.

Even experienced travelers have gone missing. Many are never found. The vast majority of disappearances and deaths are the result of crime. The jungles are sometimes dangerous, but most disappearances are the result of human involvement.

Countries in Central and South America are very different from your home country. It’s absolutely critical for you to respect your surroundings. 

Cartels, gangs and individual criminals do not care who you are. Even if you don’t have any money, they will think you are rich…because you are rich by their standards. Most criminals are poor. The mere fact that you can afford to travel means that you are a target.

Drug trafficking, human trafficking, organ harvesting, rape, human sacrifice and murder have all been in the news. People are sometimes killed simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

If you go missing, it will be very hard to find you. The rainforests are endless. The jungles are thick. Police are often unhelpful or untrustworthy. Investigators often lack proper training and mishandle evidence. Locals are afraid to talk, out of fear of retaliation. Government officials often cover-up murders to protect their precious tourism industry. Search teams often take too long to organize and yield no results. It’s 100% your responsibility to be careful.

The vast majority of victims are people that travelled alone.

Explore with people you can trust. Never be alone in public at night. Be very cautious while traveling.

Notable Disappearance Stories

Travel Safety Tips For Central & South America

Check out the travel safety tips for people traveling specifically to Mexico, Central America and South America.

How to Avoid Disappearing – Travel Tips That Will Save Your Life

In order to ensure that you are not a victim of crime, please at least be aware of these tips!