Sonora's General Prosecutor's Office confirmed to Ceci Patricia Flores Armenta that remains found match her son Marco Antonio Sauceda Rocha, missing for seven years. The identification came via DNA tests after a discovery on March 24. The family shared deep grief over the long-awaited news.
Sonora's Prosecutor's Office notified Ceci Flores, leader of Madres Buscadoras de Sonora, on Tuesday March 31 that genetic tests verified the remains of her son Marco Antonio Sauceda Rocha, aged 38. It had been 2,523 days since his 2019 disappearance.
The remains were found on March 24 by the Madres Buscadoras de Sonora collective along Highway 26 between Hermosillo and Bahía de Kino. Marco Antonio's sister, Milagros Valenzuela Flores, noted similarities in the dentition and said: «My mom is devastated. It was something we longed for, but not like this».
Marco Antonio, then 31, was kidnapped with his younger brother Jesús Adrián Sauceda Rocha by an armed convoy in Bahía de Kino. The minor was released hours later, but Marco Antonio stayed missing. The collective, founded by Ceci Flores to search for another son, Alejandro Guadalupe Flores Armenta, secured the site with authorities' help.
The Prosecutor's Office expedited tests, confirming identity in seven days instead of the planned two weeks. The wake for the remains took place on March 31 in Bahía de Kino, with burial set for Thursday. Sonora reports 5,888 missing persons, per the National Registry.