The report analyzes the role of specialized prosecutor’s offices on disappearances as key actors in investigating these crimes and ensuring access to truth and justice. Despite their creation—driven by the advocacy of families and civil society organizations—serious structural deficiencies persist within Mexico’s justice system, resulting in systemic impunity, reflected in the very low number of convictions.

The study finds that these offices emerged within a deeply entrenched institutional framework, limiting their effectiveness and giving rise to a dynamic of “inverted coadjuvancy,” where families drive investigations while authorities rely on their efforts.

Through a comparative analysis of three northern states—Nuevo León, Coahuila, and Chihuahua—the report examines how these prosecutor’s offices operate, their institutional narratives, levels of cooperation and conflict with victims, and the unintended consequences of their institutionalization.

It concludes that, although the creation of these specialized offices represents a formal step forward, ongoing coordination problems, limited resources, and institutional resistance to change continue to hinder justice. Nevertheless, the report highlights emerging practices and collaborative efforts among families, collectives, and authorities aimed at improving the State’s response to disappearances.