When a Guatemalan adult in the United States stops answering and nobody knows where they are, our sources describe three official channels: the US NamUs database, the Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración (IGM) search mechanism in Guatemala, and Guatemala’s consulates. This page explains what each one says it does, what it requires, and what none of them has told us.
This page is about searching for an adult who has gone missing in the US. For a child or a woman missing in Guatemala, see the Alba-Keneth alert and the Isabel-Claudina alert. For a court declaration of absence or presumed death, see RENAP absence and presumed death.
If you think the person may be held by ICE, in jail or in hospital, start with our page on Guatemalans detained or hospitalized in the USA. It covers the ICE detainee locator and consular notification.
Quick summary: In the US, families can enter a case in NamUs, which NamUs says is free (funded by the National Institute of Justice). A case only becomes public after NamUs confirms a missing person report is on file with a US law enforcement agency and that agency gives permission. NamUs is voluntary and does not hold every missing person. In Guatemala, the IGM Mecanismo de Búsqueda de Personas Migrantes Desaparecidas serves families of Guatemalans who migrated irregularly to the US. IGM lists phone lines 2339-1447 al 50 and an activation form on its website. It says it interviews families, may take family DNA when required, and helps file a complaint with the Ministerio Público. MINEX says its consulates search for, locate and identify Guatemalans reported missing. Verified 15 October 2026.
The three channels at a glance
| NamUs (United States) | IGM search mechanism (Guatemala) | Guatemalan consulate (MINEX) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | Funded and administered by the National Institute of Justice; managed under a contract with RTI | Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración | MINEX, through Guatemala’s consulates abroad |
| Who it says it serves | Families, volunteers, advocacy groups and the general public (as public users) | Families of Guatemalans who migrated irregularly to the US and whose whereabouts are unknown | Guatemalans reported missing |
| What it says it does | Takes case entries, tracks cases, publishes vetted cases for public search | Interviews, national and international coordination, psychosocial support, forensic and DNA tools, help filing a complaint with the Ministerio Público | Search, location and identification; repatriation process |
| Cost | No cost (NIJ funding) | Not stated in the source we read | Not stated in the source we read |
| Key requirement | A missing person report on file with a US law enforcement agency, plus that agency’s permission to publish | A report from the family to activate the search | Not stated in the source we read |
NamUs: the US national database
What it is. The NamUs FAQ describes NamUs as the national information clearinghouse and resource center for missing, unidentified and unclaimed person cases throughout the United States. It says NamUs is funded and administered by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), managed through a contract with RTI, and that its resources are provided “at no cost through funding from NIJ”.
Who can enter a case. NamUs says family members of missing persons are among its public users. It says public users “may enter new missing person cases into NamUs”, track cases, and search or view all publicly visible information in NamUs case files. Those case files cover missing, unidentified and unclaimed persons.
Why your case is not public yet. NamUs says no public entry goes live on its own. Before publication, every case is reviewed to make sure “a missing person report is on file with a local, state, federal, or tribal law enforcement agency”. NamUs also needs that agency’s permission to publish. NamUs says the vetting checks the data for accuracy, completeness and suitability for public viewing. It describes the purpose as protecting the person reported missing and keeping sensitive information from compromising an investigation.
In practice, a NamUs entry alone does not replace a report to US law enforcement. NamUs will not publish the case until such a report exists and the agency agrees. The NamUs FAQ we read gives no turnaround time for publication and no guarantee that the person will be located.
How long a case stays up. NamUs says an unresolved case, once published, stays published until one of these happens:
- the missing person is located,
- an unidentified decedent is identified, or
- the next of kin is located so a death notification can be made and the remains claimed.
After resolution the case is permanently archived. NamUs says “Archived cases are restricted from public view”, except for the professional user attached to the case as a Case Contributor.
Limits to keep in mind. NamUs says its use is “not federally mandated”. The database therefore only contains people who were voluntarily reported to it, and it “does not include information on all missing, unidentified, and/or unclaimed persons nationwide”. If your relative is not in NamUs, that alone tells you nothing. Demographic fields such as age or ethnicity reflect whatever the reporting party entered.
Privacy. NamUs says case records are subject to the US Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). It also says the Office of Justice Programs reviews any non-public records requested under FOIA and redacts information covered by FOIA exemptions, including privacy and law enforcement protections.
From Guatemala: the IGM search mechanism
If the family is in Guatemala, the main route in our sources is the Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración (IGM) and its Mecanismo de Búsqueda de Personas Migrantes Desaparecidas.
Who it is for. IGM says the mechanism serves families of Guatemalans who “migraron de forma irregular hacia Estados Unidos” (migrated irregularly to the United States) and whose whereabouts are currently unknown. IGM frames its call as applying to disappearances en contexto de migración. The IGM text we read does not say whether it also handles adults who entered the US another way.
How to start. IGM asks Guatemalan families to file a report so that search and location actions can begin. It lists the mechanism’s phone lines as “2339-1447 al 50” and says there is an activation form on its website. Here is the IGM notice describing the mechanism.
What IGM says it does after the report:
- Interviews the family to collect information for the search.
- Coordinates with related institutions, both in Guatemala and internationally.
- Offers “acompañamiento psicosocial” (psychosocial support) to help relatives cope emotionally.
- Uses forensic and biometric tools, including “toma de muestras de ADN de familiares para su comparación con bases de datos genéticas, cuando se requiera” (taking DNA samples from relatives to compare with genetic databases, when required). IGM does not explain in this text how or where samples are taken.
- Helps the family file a complaint (denuncia) with the Ministerio Público so the case can be investigated.
How long it lasts. IGM says the search “permanece activo hasta establecer el paradero de la persona reportada” (stays active until the reported person’s whereabouts are established), exhausting the possibilities of location and identification. When there is a result, IGM says it gives the family an “aviso digno” (a dignified notice), delivered respectfully and sensitively and accompanied by the institutions involved.
The consulate’s role
MINEX published a news item dated 27/07/2026 about a training on a search protocol for missing migrants. In it, MINEX presented the work Guatemala’s consulates abroad do for the “búsqueda, localización e identificación de connacionales reportados como desaparecidos” (search, location and identification of Guatemalans reported missing), as well as the repatriation process.
That item describes the consulates’ role. It does not set out the documents to bring, a fee, or a response time, and we found none. To contact the consulate that covers the state where your relative was living, use our consulate finder.
What our sources do not settle
We could not confirm the following from official sources, so this page does not state them:
- Which US agency to report to, or how. NamUs only says the report must be on file with a local, state, federal or tribal law enforcement agency.
- Any waiting period before a missing adult can be reported in the US.
- A complete list of documents to bring, or any Guatemalan civil documents (such as RENAP certificates) required for these searches.
- How long any step takes. (On DNA, NamUs says “Samples must be collected by a law enforcement officer or other criminal justice personnel”, and that relatives must sign a consent form.)
- Response deadlines for NamUs, IGM or the consulates.
If an office asks you for something that is not on this page, ask them which rule it comes from.
If the search ends
If the person is found alive and needs help getting home, see humanitarian repatriation of the living. If the search ends in the worst way, see repatriation of remains to Guatemala.
Sources
- NamUs, Frequently Asked Questions (National Institute of Justice): namus.nij.ojp.gov/frequently-asked-questions. Read 15 October 2026.
- Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración, notice on the Mecanismo de Búsqueda de Personas Migrantes Desaparecidas: igm.gob.gt. Read 15 October 2026.
- MINEX, news item dated 27/07/2026 on its participation in a training on the search protocol for missing migrants. Its text was recovered through search because the page blocked direct access when we checked on 15 October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free US database where I can report a missing Guatemalan relative?
Yes. NamUs, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, is the US national clearinghouse for missing, unidentified and unclaimed person cases. Its FAQ says it is funded and administered by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and that all NamUs resources are provided at no cost. NamUs says family members of missing persons are public users who may enter new missing person cases, track cases, and search the publicly visible information in NamUs case files.
I entered my relative in NamUs. Why is the case not showing publicly?
NamUs says every public case entry is vetted with the investigating law enforcement agency before it is made publicly viewable. NamUs checks that a missing person report is on file with a local, state, federal or tribal law enforcement agency and that the agency gives permission to publish. The NamUs FAQ we read gives no turnaround time for publication.
Do I need a US police report?
For a NamUs case to be published, yes. NamUs says it reviews every case to make sure a missing person report is on file with a local, state, federal or tribal law enforcement agency. Our sources do not say which agency to go to, and they do not establish any nationwide waiting period before a report can be made. Do not assume there is one.
My relative migrated to the US and I am in Guatemala. Who helps me?
The Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración (IGM) runs a Mecanismo de Búsqueda de Personas Migrantes Desaparecidas. IGM says the mechanism helps and accompanies families of Guatemalans who migrated irregularly to the United States and whose whereabouts are unknown. IGM asks families to file a report. It lists phone lines 2339-1447 al 50 and mentions an activation form on its website. After the report, IGM says it interviews the family, coordinates with national and international institutions, and offers psychosocial support.
Will they take a DNA sample from my family?
IGM says its search uses forensic and biometric tools, including taking DNA samples from relatives to compare against genetic databases when required. The IGM text we read does not explain how or where samples are collected.
What does the Guatemalan consulate do when a Guatemalan goes missing in the US?
In a news item dated 27/07/2026, MINEX described the work Guatemala’s consulates abroad do to search for, locate and identify Guatemalans reported missing, as well as the repatriation process. That item does not set out a step-by-step consular procedure. To reach your consulate, use our consulate finder.
Does NamUs have every missing person in the US?
No. NamUs says its use is not federally mandated, so the database only holds people who were voluntarily reported to it. NamUs states that it does not include information on all missing, unidentified or unclaimed persons nationwide.
What happens to the case when the person is found?
NamUs says a published case stays published until the missing person is located, or until the next of kin is found for a death notification. After resolution the case is archived and hidden from public view. IGM says its search stays active until the person’s whereabouts are established, and that when there is a result it gives the family a dignified, respectful notice together with the institutions involved.
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