[FOUND] Technologies for Locating our Disappeared
#Disappearance #Mexico
The FOUND project is focused on exploring the use of advanced technologies to identify clandestine graves in Mexico. The project involves tools such as hyper and multispectral cameras, LiDAR, seismic noise sensors, and conductivity meters to locate hidden graves. In response to the recent discovery of a clandestine crematorium, which has given increased national attention to the issue of missing persons linked to cartel violence, the team is investigating how satellite data can be used to detect crematorium sites in Mexico, based on ash evidence, with promising early results.
Since the ‘War on Drugs’ was declared in 2006, disappearances have been one of the most critical issues in Mexico. Over 118,000 individuals are currently reported as disappeared, and the consequences for their families are beyond measure. Through FOUND, we leverage technology to collaborate with mothers in their search for disappeared sons and daughters, working together to bring a form of closure.
'I found my son in the flowers'. Searching Mothers Collectives. Jalisco, Mexico
The Role of Searching Mothers Collectives
Searching Mothers’ Collectives currently draw on their empirical knowledge to identify potential clandestine graves—where the remains of their disappeared children might be found. For example, in open areas, they look for natural indicators—called signs—such as off-season green plants or unusually blooming flowers, which may signal bodies buried below. They insert a T-shaped metal stake into the ground and smell it upon removal to detect any scent of decomposition. If detected, they proceed to recover the remains.
In other settings, like abandoned houses, these mothers tap the cement floor with the same metal stake – known as a ‘vidente’ (seer or clairvoyant) – listening for changes in sound that could indicate an anomaly, such as a hollow space, and potentially, a body.
About the FOUND Project
Launched in 2023, the FOUND project (Interpretar la Naturaleza para Encontrar a Quienes nos Faltan) combines the expertise of searching mothers collectives with advanced technology to address Mexico’s crisis of disappearances. Based in Jalisco—the state with the highest number of recorded disappearances (over 16,000)—FOUND has established experimental sites replicating clandestine burial scenarios common in the region. Using donated pig carcasses as proxies for human remains, the project examines conditions such as exposure to extreme heat, fragmentation, and wrapping in plastic or blankets.
FOUND is testing a range of methods informed by the knowledge of local mothers, including:
- Forensic Entomology and Botany, Territorial Analysis, Soil Studies.
- Multispectral Imaging
- Hyperspectral Imaging
- Lasers, Airborne LiDAR
- Seismic Noise Interferometry Tomography (TIRSA)
- Electrical Resistivity Tomography, Conductivimeter
- Satellite Data & Spectral Indices
As a result of the project, the Jalisco Search Commission has incorporated drones, multispectral cameras, and a laser scanner into its official search practices. Further instruments are scheduled to be acquired in 2026 with public funding. Knowledge exchange is under way with forensic teams and search units from Colombia, Uruguay, and the United Kingdom.
FOUND is funded by the Frontier Tech Hub.
The Book
The book ‘Interpreting Nature to Locate Those We Are Missing’ (Interpretar la Naturaleza para Encontrar a Quienes nos Faltan) presents findings on the application of biological, physical, and earth sciences in detecting clandestine graves. The book is currently being translated into English.
Partners
This project involves the participation of:
- Searching Mothers Collectives
- CentroGeo
- The Jalisco State Commission for the Search for Missing Persons
- The UNAM Institute of Geophysics
- The UNAM Faculty of Engineering
- Four Centres of the University of Guadalajara
- The Polytechnic University of the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area
- The University of the West of England
- The University of Oxford
- Frontier Tech Hub
- British Association for Forensic Anthropology
- Colombia’s Unit for the Search of Persons Reported as Disappeared
FOUND: Interpretar la Naturaleza para Encontrar a Quienes nos Faltan
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