FBI contacts Mexican authorities as search for Nancy Guthrie continues

The FBI has been in touch with the Mexican government and Mexican law enforcement as investigators search for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie, law enforcement sources told CBS News. Guthrie, 78, was last seen on Jan. 31, and authorities say the case remains active with hundreds of investigators working thousands of leads.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said there is “no indication Guthrie was taken into Mexico,” even as federal liaison channels and international protocols are engaged because of the case’s proximity to the border. “As long as we have the ability to chase a lead, it’s not cold,” Nanos said. Retired FBI supervisory special agent Jason Pack, quoted by Fox News, described such coordination as routine: “These are not reactive positions. They exist precisely so that when something like this happens, the relationships and channels are already in place.” Pack added that federal protocols “activate almost automatically, regardless of whether there’s confirmed evidence the victim crossed” when a disappearance occurs near an international border.

Investigators have released images and video from Guthrie’s doorbell camera showing a masked, armed individual at her doorstep. The FBI described the person as a man of average build between 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-10 wearing gloves and carrying a black, 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack. The intruder appeared to have a firearm in a holster positioned over his crotch, and he was seen attempting to tamper with the doorbell system. Public postings on X credited to FBI Director Kash Patel included four black-and-white images released Feb. 10, and the FBI later released two videos captured by the device.

Forensic work has produced a mix of leads and frustrating gaps. Gloves found about two miles from Guthrie’s home yielded DNA that did not match the FBI’s database, and investigators are analyzing partial DNA recovered from inside the residence. Bloodstains at the scene were confirmed to be Guthrie’s, and multiple ransom notes demanding cryptocurrency with deadlines that had passed by Feb. 9 have been reported. Authorities say all members of the Guthrie family have been cleared as suspects.

The investigation has expanded into a sizable operation. NBC reported that more than 400 investigators were working the case more than two weeks after Guthrie’s disappearance, following “thousands of tips and leads.” Local and international resources include the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, FBI border liaison agents, the FBI Legal Attaché office in Mexico City, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and search-and-rescue teams. The FBI’s suboffice in Hermosillo, Sonora, is the regional office most often tapped for cases along the Arizona-Sonora corridor; Hermosillo lies roughly 170 miles on the other side of the border while Tucson is about 60 miles from the Nogales crossing.

Community groups have mobilized across the border. Sonoran search organization Madres Buscadoras De Sonora said a Guthrie family member contacted them and they posted on social media seeking information. Rewards to encourage tips now top $200,000: the 88-CRIME tipline increased its pool to $102,500 after a $100,000 anonymous donation, and the FBI is offering a separate $100,000 reward.

Beyond the facts of the case, authorities and advocates say it highlights acute vulnerabilities: Guthrie has been described by officials as a vulnerable adult because of age, mobility limitations and reliance on daily medication. The circumstances underscore broader public health and safety concerns for aging and disabled residents, the strain such disappearances place on local services, and the ways cross-border coordination affects communities on both sides of the frontier. Authorities continue to urge anyone with information to come forward as the multiagency inquiry proceeds.