Mexico's Sonora AG rejects cross-border collaboration in Guthrie probe: 'No formal request received'
WASHINGTON, DC: Mexican authorities in the border state of Sonora said they have not received a formal request from US officials to assist in the investigation into the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie.
The clarification came from the office of Sonora Attorney General Gustavo Rómulo Salas Chávez on Thursday, February 19, amid ongoing efforts to locate Guthrie, who was last seen at her home near Tucson, Arizona.
Officials in Mexico stated that they would remain willing to cooperate if contacted through appropriate institutional channels. The case is approaching its third week as US authorities continue their search.
Sonora officials clarify position on cross-border cooperation
The office of Sonora Attorney General Gustavo Rómulo Salas Chávez said in a statement posted on social platform X that it had "not received a formal request for collaboration in the case of a missing person in Arizona," referring to Guthrie.
COMUNICADO
— Fiscalía de Sonora (@fgjesonora) February 19, 2026
FGJES aclara que no ha recibido solicitud formal de colaboración en caso de persona desaparecida en Arizona
Hermosillo, Sonora, 18 de febrero de 2026.- En relación con publicaciones en las que se señala que el FBI habría solicitado apoyo a autoridades mexicanas para… pic.twitter.com/fvjIIohdZ1
“To date, this institution has not received any formal request for collaboration, assistance, or exchange of information from US authorities or Mexican federal agencies in relation to said case,” Chávez’s office added.
Sonora shares a border with Arizona, and its capital, Hermosillo, is located several hours south of Tucson. Despite the geographic proximity, Mexican state officials emphasized that no official communication had been received regarding investigative support.
The attorney general’s office stated that “should an official request be received through the appropriate institutional channels, it will be attended to with full willingness and within the framework of its legal powers and the existing cooperation mechanisms.”
Carlos Flores, commissioner general of Mexico’s Criminal Investigation Agency, also addressed the matter, stating, “The FBI informed us that they currently have no leads to suggest that this person could be in Mexico.”
Chávez said, “We have no information to suggest that this person is in Mexican territory, specifically in Sonora.”
Mexican officials indicated that established cross-border protocols existed for investigations occurring near the US-Mexico boundary, but reiterated that no formal request specific to this case had been submitted to their office.
Ongoing US investigation and public rewards
Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC's 'Today' co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was last seen the night of January 31 at her home outside Tucson and was reported missing the following day. Authorities in Arizona have said that they believe she was taken against her will.
The FBI, working alongside the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, has offered a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to her location and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved.
A separate reward through the 88-CRIME tipline was increased to $102,500 following an anonymous donation, according to local organizers.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said there is no indication that Guthrie was taken into Mexico, and US officials have not publicly stated that the investigation has expanded across the border.
