Film backdrop image for Mexico's disappeared (2025)

20251 minPGnews

Human Trafficking

Mexico's disappeared

20251 minPGnews

Families like the Barajas Piñas search for their missing loved ones in Mexico's drug war.

Human Trafficking

Genres

Channel: DW Documentary

Mexico's disappeared

2025• 1 minPG

Synopsis

Families like the Barajas Piñas search for their missing loved ones in Mexico's drug war.

Synopsis

Mexico's war on drugs has left more than 130,000 people missing, creating a national crisis of disappearance and impunity. Families like the Barajas Piñas search for their loved ones, probing the ground for mass graves and demanding justice. With authorities failing to investigate, they risk their lives in their quest for answers. Their story highlights the urgent need for accountability and the devastating impact of violence in Mexico. Watch the full documentary 'Mexico: War of the drug cartels' on the DW Documentary YouTube channel.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Women at War: Mexico - A story of murder, migration and the missing (2023)

Women at War: Mexico - A story of murder, migration and the missing

A Saturday morning shooting reveals the violence against women in a quiet residential area near the border.

Women at War: Mexico - A story of murder, migration and the missing

Mexico: War of the drug cartels (2025)

Mexico: War of the drug cartels

According to a 2023 study, up to 185,000 people work directly or indirectly in the Mexican drug trade, which could account for 2% of the country's GDP.

Mexico: War of the drug cartels

The True Cost Of Mexico's Drug Wars (2016)

The True Cost Of Mexico's Drug Wars

Mexico's drug war, marked by escalating violence and economic decline, prompts critiques from ex-foreign minister Jorge Castaneda as fear grips daily life.

The True Cost Of Mexico's Drug Wars

State of Denial - Philippines (2007)

State of Denial - Philippines

On June 26, 2007, 22-year-old Karen Empeno was abducted by armed men while conducting research in a small town north of Manila.

State of Denial - Philippines

The Missing 43: Mexico's Disappeared Students (Part 1) (2014)

The Missing 43: Mexico's Disappeared Students (Part 1)

Forty-three students from the Ayotzinapa Normal School were attacked by police on September 26, 2014, during a protest in Guerrero, Mexico.

The Missing 43: Mexico's Disappeared Students (Part 1)

Mexico's Femicide Crisis (2019)

Mexico's Femicide Crisis

Almost 400 women have been raped, tortured, and murdered in Ciudad Juarez, creating a chilling atmosphere known as the City of Lost Girls.

Mexico's Femicide Crisis

The Murdered Women of the State of Mexico (Part 1) (2015)

The Murdered Women of the State of Mexico (Part 1)

Mikey highlights femicide in the State of Mexico, featuring Claro Ponte and Evelyn Kane's insights.

The Murdered Women of the State of Mexico (Part 1)

Migrants, Organized Crime Networks: Border Patrols (2023)

Migrants, Organized Crime Networks: Border Patrols

Border Patrols Police in Mexico and Brazil combat organized crime affecting migrants.

Migrants, Organized Crime Networks: Border Patrols

In Ciudad Juarez, the Main Sport Is Raping and Killing Girls (2008)

In Ciudad Juarez, the Main Sport Is Raping and Killing Girls

Nearly 400 women have been murdered in Ciudad Juarez, with at least 15 victims reported in just the current year.

In Ciudad Juarez, the Main Sport Is Raping and Killing Girls

Women Behind Bars in Philippines: How to Survive the Mandaluyong Prison? (2025)

Women Behind Bars in Philippines: How to Survive the Mandaluyong Prison?

Mandaluyong City's Correctional Institution for Women, the oldest women's prison in the Philippines, houses over three thousand inmates amid strict security challenges.

Women Behind Bars in Philippines: How to Survive the Mandaluyong Prison?

Nefarious: Merchant of Souls (2020)

Nefarious: Merchant of Souls

Modern-day slavery is exposed through firsthand accounts and expert analysis, revealing the harsh realities of human trafficking across nineteen countries.

Nefarious: Merchant of Souls

A Perfect Life Hiding a Deadly Secret (2026)

A Perfect Life Hiding a Deadly Secret

Sheila Davalloo, a seemingly successful professional, was linked to the brutal murder of Anelisa Raymundo through DNA evidence and a pattern of violence.

A Perfect Life Hiding a Deadly Secret

Explore Mexico's disappeared

Browse more like this

Women at War: Mexico - A story of murder, migration and the missing (2023)

Women at War: Mexico - A story of murder, migration and the missing

A Saturday morning shooting reveals the violence against women in a quiet residential area near the border.

Women at War: Mexico - A story of murder, migration and the missing

No digital watch option in your country

Mexico: War of the drug cartels (2025)

Mexico: War of the drug cartels

According to a 2023 study, up to 185,000 people work directly or indirectly in the Mexican drug trade, which could account for 2% of the country's GDP.

Mexico: War of the drug cartels

No digital watch option in your country

Migrants, Organized Crime Networks: Border Patrols (2023)

Migrants, Organized Crime Networks: Border Patrols

Border Patrols Police in Mexico and Brazil combat organized crime affecting migrants.

Migrants, Organized Crime Networks: Border Patrols

No digital watch option in your country

Women Behind Bars in Philippines: How to Survive the Mandaluyong Prison? (2025)

Women Behind Bars in Philippines: How to Survive the Mandaluyong Prison?

Mandaluyong City's Correctional Institution for Women, the oldest women's prison in the Philippines, houses over three thousand inmates amid strict security challenges.

Women Behind Bars in Philippines: How to Survive the Mandaluyong Prison?

No digital watch option in your country

A Perfect Life Hiding a Deadly Secret (2026)

A Perfect Life Hiding a Deadly Secret

Sheila Davalloo, a seemingly successful professional, was linked to the brutal murder of Anelisa Raymundo through DNA evidence and a pattern of violence.

A Perfect Life Hiding a Deadly Secret

No digital watch option in your country

In Broad Daylight: The Narvarte Case (2022)

In Broad Daylight: The Narvarte Case

2022•1h48m•★8.0TMDB

Five individuals were murdered in the Narvarte neighborhood of Mexico City in 2015, leading to a controversial investigation into law enforcement corruption.

In Broad Daylight: The Narvarte Case

Missing Young Woman (1996)

Missing Young Woman

1996•1h14m•★7.8TMDB

Over 400 young women have disappeared from assembly plants in Ciudad Juárez, raising urgent questions about labor exploitation and local authorities' responses.

Missing Young Woman

Portraits of a Search (2014)

Portraits of a Search

2014•1h7m•★5.0TMDB

Three mothers search for their missing children amid the chaos of the Mexican narco-war, each facing a system that often feels indifferent.

Portraits of a Search

I Named You in Silence (2021)

I Named You in Silence

2021•1h24m•★6.8TMDB

Twice a week, mothers in northern Sinaloa search for the remains of their disappeared children, using picks and shovels to confront state neglect.

I Named You in Silence

Kingdom of Shadows (2015)

Kingdom of Shadows

2015•1h15m•★6.0TMDB

Over 23,000 people have disappeared in Mexico due to the ongoing U.S.-Mexico drug war, revealing a significant human rights crisis.

Kingdom of Shadows

Devil’s Freedom (2017)

Devil’s Freedom

2017•1h14m•★7.3TMDB

In Mexico's most dangerous cities, the intertwining lives of victims and perpetrators reveal the pervasive influence of fear on society's psyche.

Devil’s Freedom

Before We Are Forgotten (2013)

Before We Are Forgotten

2013•1h30m•★5.0TMDB

Over 120,000 violent deaths have occurred since Mexico's war on drug trafficking began in 2006, forcing thousands into exile.

Before We Are Forgotten

Dark Suns (2019)

Dark Suns

2019•2h32m•★6.6TMDB

More than 30,000 people have disappeared in Mexico due to violence linked to the illegal drug trade, as detailed through personal testimonies in this film.

Guerrero (2017)

Guerrero

2017•1h50m•★6.9TMDB

Three activists in Guerrero, México, confront impunity, risking their lives in a struggle against the influence of illegal drugs.

The Great Ships (1996)

The Great Ships

1996•45m•★7.8TMDB

Over 400 young women have disappeared from assembly plants in Ciudad Juárez, raising urgent questions about labor exploitation and local authorities' responses.

The Great Ships

Thailand Dreams (2016)

Thailand Dreams

Thailand's beaches attract Western men seeking relationships with Thai women, raising questions about love, exploitation, and the mail-order bride phenomenon.

Thailand Dreams

The Suffolk Strangler (2014)

The Suffolk Strangler

2014•44m•★1.0TMDB

Five women were found dead in Suffolk, England, over a span of three weeks, leading to the arrest of serial killer Steven Wright.

The Suffolk Strangler

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →