A Texas couple has been missing since late July while traveling in Mexico, prompting family and friends to turn to the public and media to help find them.
Frank Guzmán, a doctoral student at the University of Texas, and his wife, Caroline Katba, were last seen on July 18 in Austin, Texas, according to the Texas Missing Persons Clearinghouse Bulletin.
Frank and Caroline were traveling through Mexico when their families lost contact with them around July 22, according to an Instagram post from Frank’s sister, Liz Guzmán.
‘It is believed that the last place they were before losing contact was Coatzacoalcos Veracruz Mexico. “They were driving their gray 2016 4-door Toyota Prius-Hatchback,” Liz wrote in the post.
Liz told the Austin American-statesman that his brother and sister-in-law planned to travel through Latin America to reach Chile, where Frank was going to conduct research for his doctorate.
Frank Guzmán and his wife Caroline Katba have been missing for two months. They were en route to Chile for Frank’s university research project, but authorities believe they never made it out of Mexico.
Liz said they sent frequent messages to their respective families via WhatsApp, giving them updates and images cataloging their trip.
But on July 22, both of them disconnected.
“He told me he’d be at his next hotel around 3pm, we’re an hour early, maybe he’ll call you around 3 or 4pm,” Liz said.
Neither family has received a call from Frank or Caroline.
That didn’t stop them from trying to communicate throughout the summer. Liz thought maybe they lost service as they ventured further into Central America.
Their concern reached a fever pitch when a UT Austin professor called Frank’s father and let him know that Frank had not shown up to class, Liz said.
‘My brother has completed 12 years of effort in this career; “He just wouldn’t let it,” she said.
Liz said a security team hired by the university believes the couple’s last known location was Coatzacoalcos. The team also told the family that there is no evidence or documentation that they left Mexico.
Liz has filed missing person reports for Frank in Mexico and Texas, adding that there is a separate report in Mexico for Caroline.
Frank is described as a 5’8″ Hispanic male who weighs 160 pounds and has brown eyes.
Liz has filed missing person reports for Frank in Mexico and Texas, adding that there is a separate report in Mexico for Caroline.
Liz also contacted the US Embassy and the FBI.
Frank is an anthropology student at UT Austin’s College of Liberal Arts.
His LinkedIn reveals that he has been a doctoral student at UT Austin since August 2020. Before that, he was enrolled at Pennsylvania State for his master’s degree and at Stanford University for his bachelor’s degree.
Caroline is about to open her own business, Liz said.
In her post, Liz asked people to share this story with as many people as they could. For people with information, she urged them to contact her, @nestor.rincon.752 on Instagram or local police.
UT spokesman Mike Rosen told the Austin American-Statesman that the university could not discuss specific missing person cases.
He said that when UT students go missing abroad while on university business, the university deploys its International Critical Incident Response Team, which collaborates with the U.S. State Department, embassies and other international authorities.
“In the case of a missing student, UT would provide assistance and resources to the fullest extent possible to help ensure that every effort is made to locate and assist the student,” Rosen said.
In her post, Liz asked people to share this story with as many people as they could. For people with information.
‘They were just traveling and would never have disappeared out of nowhere. They had an end goal,” Liz said. ‘He’s just a student; he’s just a normal guy.
