Miriam Rodríguez: How She Took Down Her Daughter’s Cartel Killers

Rodríguez studied her suspect’s habits, she memorized their addresses, researched their friends and stalked their lovers. It didn’t matter how high the stakes were, she dyed her hair, masqueraded as an election official, and exploited unknowing family members for information. She was a one-woman private investigation squad hunting down her daughter’s kidnappers and killers across Mexico. In three years, she single-handedly tracked down 10 men who were involved in her daughter’s torture and death.

Miriam Rodriguez was digging through dirt in an old, abandoned ranch outside of San Fernando, Tamaulias in Mexico when she found a scarf, following the abduction of her 20-year-old daughter, Karen Alejandra Salinas Rodríguez.

The discovery expedited Karen’s case, allowing the police to uncover more gruesome remains buried beneath the sea of dirt.

Karen's femur was discovered by the police in the same location where they also found a mass grave containing the bodies of numerous other victims. Miriam had a strong suspicion that her daughter had been taken away by the Mexican cartel, but this was not just any ordinary killer. The cartel was an organization of perpetrators, and their violence and power had been evident for a long time. The havoc they caused in the area had been tormenting both citizens and law enforcement for decades, and the possibility of a family member disappearing into the night and never returning was a frequent occurrence.

With over 70,000 cases of missing people attributed to cartel activity, Rodríguez faced an overwhelming challenge. In Mexico, homicide rates had surged, yet no action was taken, and no one seemed to care. Faced with this reality, Rodríguez took matters into her own hands and embarked on a years-long mission to ensure that her daughter's killers were brought to justice.

In 2014, the San Fernando community was still grappling with the traumatic aftermath of the 2011 massacre perpetrated by the Mexican cartel. Los Zetas, a faction of the Gulf cartel, had mercilessly slaughtered close to 200 people, most of whom were abducted from bus hijackings. The victims were snatched away from their loved ones and likely exploited for the cartel's financial gain. The individuals who dared to resist or flee met a gruesome fate, with their remains discovered in mass graves scattered across the deserted ranch area.

The community lived in constant fear of the seemingly indomitable power of the cartel, resulting in a significant number of people fleeing the region, including Rodriguez's other child, her son Luis.
While many, including Luis, chose to flee San Fernando to evade the pervasive danger, Karen made the decision to remain in the town. She was determined to complete her education and continue supporting her mother's cowboy store, "Rodeo Boots."

Abducted

Karen was driving her truck through a rural area when her vehicle was suddenly surrounded by two cars. Armed men forcefully removed her from her truck and forced her into their vehicle. The kidnappers then brought Karen to the Rodríguez's house, where they bound her with ropes and waited for a ransom to be paid.
However, their plan hit a snag when a family friend unexpectedly arrived at the Rodríguez's home to perform some car maintenance. The kidnappers, taken aback by the unexpected visit, decided to take both Karen and the friend as captives and fled the scene.

Rodríguez and her husband were able to secure a ransom loan from the bank without any difficulty, as the city had experienced so many abductions that the bank offered specialized borrowing options for ransom payments. The cartel's onerous demands were as follows:

The Rodríguezs were to leave the ransom money at a nearby health clinic and await further instructions at a nearby cemetery.

Despite complying with these demands, the couple never received any contact regarding their daughter's whereabouts, despite making numerous attempts to retrieve her. They even met with a supposed member of the cartel who went by the name "Sama," who claimed that Karen was not in their custody but offered to help for a fee.

Despite her desperation, Miriam paid the gang $2,000 as compensation, but they never contacted her again until they demanded an additional $500. Once again, the gang took the money and vanished.

The Rodríguez family refused to give up hope for Karen's safe return until Miriam, who had separated from her husband and was living with her older daughter Azalea, came to the realization that Karen was not coming back. The family's matriarch, however, made a solemn vow to herself that she would not rest until she found those responsible for her daughter's abduction.

Her first course of action was to track down her "informant": Sama.

Investigation

The family friend who had unwittingly stumbled upon Karen and her kidnappers was eventually released. Though he was of no value to the cartel, his memories of the abduction proved invaluable to a mother searching for her missing daughter.

The friend confirmed that Sama was indeed involved in Karen's abduction. Armed with this knowledge, Miriam scoured social media platforms in search of any leads on her daughter's whereabouts.

After extensive searching, she stumbled upon a photograph on Facebook that featured a man who resembled Sama standing next to a woman in an ice cream shop uniform. Further investigation revealed that the uniform belonged to a shop located two hours away in Ciudad Victoria.
Miriam played a game of cat and mouse as she stalked her prey, waiting outside the ice cream shop for weeks on end until she was finally able to track down the woman who appeared to be Sama's partner.
Miriam donned a Health Ministry uniform she had left over from a previous job in order to disguise herself. Under the guise of conducting a local survey, she went door-to-door in the neighborhood, gathering information from the locals.

Miriam wasn't seeking revenge just yet. Her primary goal was to obtain answers, and with any information she could gather, she hoped to provide the authorities with enough evidence to finally achieve justice for her daughter.

After conducting her investigation and obtaining evidence, Miriam was able to provide enough information to the police for them to issue a warrant for Sama's arrest on suspicion of involvement in Karen's kidnapping. However, Sama vanished before he could be apprehended.

Luis, who had moved to Ciudad for safety from the cartel, happened to spot Sama while closing his store, which can only be described as a possible stroke of divine intervention or fate. Sama was subsequently arrested and interrogated, and he immediately revealed the names of other gang members who took part in Karen's abduction. One of those names was Zapata Gonzalez, an 18-year-old boy whose age shocked Miriam when he was initially taken into custody. Miriam claimed that her motherly kindness and compassion helped convince the young boy to reveal her daughter's location.

Miriam made a pivotal discovery when she found her daughter's scarf at an abandoned ranch that was in a state of decay and riddled with bullet holes. This led to a large-scale excavation of the area, where a significant number of bodies were found. However, it wasn't until Miriam pushed for a second investigation that Karen's femur was uncovered. This observation would become the next critical breakthrough in the case.

While dining at a restaurant near the abandoned ranch, Miriam and Azalea remembered a peculiar acquaintance named Elvia Yuliza, who exhibited odd and evasive behavior. A quick internet search revealed Yuliza’s ties to the cartel, as she had been in a relationship with one of the abductors who was already imprisoned and beyond Miriam’s reach.

Upon discovering that the kidnapper had made calls from Yuliza’s home, she was arrested. Miriam continued her headhunting process of research, infiltration, and exposure, leading her to track down Enrique Flores, a born-again Christian, by gathering information from his grandmother and observing him during mass at his church.

After years of investigation, Miriam’s efforts led her to a suspicious florist, whom she followed to the Texas-Mexico border. Upon recognizing her as Karen’s mother, the florist attempted to flee but was tackled by Miriam and held at gunpoint until the police arrived.

Despite receiving numerous death threats from the cartel and their associates, Miriam remained undeterred in her pursuit of justice. After three years of relentless searching, she was able to track down almost all ten of the living gang members involved in her daughter's abduction.

Miriam's unwavering dedication and success in bringing her daughter's killers to justice brought her widespread recognition and fame in Mexico. However, this newfound attention also exposed her to increased risk. Despite this, Miriam refused to fade into obscurity and continued to fight for justice on behalf of other families whose children had been missing under similar circumstances for years.

In 2017, Miriam's unwavering bravery and commitment to justice led to her tragic death on Mother's Day outside her home in San Fernando, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Just weeks before, she had helped authorities capture another member of the gang believed to be involved in her daughter's murder. Despite receiving armed protection from the Mexican government, the cartel's reach was too great and easily accessible. 
Miriam's life was cut short, but her legacy of selflessness and dedication to bringing justice to the families of missing loved ones lives on.

Miriam Rodriguez's unwavering dedication to seeking justice for her daughter and countless other victims of the cartel in Mexico has left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of many. In tribute to her bravery and selflessness, a plaque was erected in her honor, serving as a constant reminder of her tireless pursuit of justice. Although her life was tragically cut short, her legacy lives on as authorities continue their vow to find and bring to justice those responsible for her untimely death.

Also read:

NORTH TEXAS YOUTH PASTOR WHO SEXUALLY ABUSED 14 GIRLS