Border Angels Activist Still Missing in Mexico After He Calls for Help on Facebook Live (UPDATED)

Apr 17, 2017
9:36 AM

UPDATE, April 19, 2017: According to a Facebook post by Gaba Cortes, Castro is alive in Mexico, but he is hospitalized.

Hugo Castro, a San Diego immigrant rights activist and a volunteer coordinator for Border Angels, has gone missing ever since he posted an April 13 Facebook Live video from Mexico, where he is seen pleading for help. According to KPBS, Castro’s “disappearance came while he was en route to Querétaro, Mexico to participate in a caravan that is following asylum seekers from Central America on their dangerous trek to the U.S.-Mexico border.”

Border Angels founder Enrique Morones spoke to KPBS and said that Castro “had received multiple death threats in recent months due to his work to protect Haitian migrants.”

KPBS also spoke with Castro’s partner, Gaba Cortes, who “said a cab driver who appeared to be involved in organized crime confronted Castro, saying he was going to kill him for interfering with his plans for the deported migrants.”

On Friday, Cortes went on Facebook to say that the Castro was still missing:

Local San Diego press reported that a binational search for Castro has already commenced.

In addition, it was reported via Facebook that Cortes will be heading to Mexico City to continue the search:

Gaba Cortes will be heading to Mexico City to continue the search for Hugo Castro. If you can make a donation you can do so via Paypal and Oxxo. This is the information provided by the family:
PAYPAL EMAIL: aavelazquez2001@yahoo.com
Tarjeta saldazo de Oxxo
4766 8400 8537 7096
A nombre de Gabriela Cortés López