Family baffled after PhD candidate and wife go missing in Mexico for months while traveling to South America for research
A married couple from Texas 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.
University of Texas doctoral student Frank Guzman 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 in Mexico when their families lost contact with them around July 22 an Instagram post by Frank’s sister Liz Guzman.
“It is believed the last location they were at before losing contact was Coatzacoalcos Veracruz, Mexico. They were driving their gray 2016 Toyota Prius Hatchback 4-door,” Liz wrote in the post.
Liz told me Austin American statesman that her brother and sister-in-law were planning to drive through Latin America to go to Chile, where Frank would conduct research for his doctorate.
Frank Guzman and his wife Caroline Katba have been missing for two months. They were headed to Chile for Frank’s university research project, but authorities believe they never left Mexico
Liz said they regularly messaged their respective families via WhatsApp, with updates and photos from their trip.
But on July 22, they both went offline.
“He told me he’d be arriving at his next hotel around 3pm, we’re an hour away, maybe I’ll call you around 3 or 4 your time,” Liz said.
Neither family received a call from Frank or Caroline.
That didn’t stop them from reaching out throughout the summer. Liz thought they might have lost their service as they ventured further through Central America.
Their concerns reached a fever pitch when a University of Austin professor called Frank’s father and informed him that Frank had not shown up for class, Liz said.
‘My brother worked on this course for twelve years; he wouldn’t just leave it there,” 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 a missing person report for Frank in Mexico and Texas, adding that there is a separate report for Caroline in Mexico
Frank is described as a Hispanic male, 6 feet tall, weighing 160 pounds and having brown eyes.
Liz has filed a missing person report for Frank in Mexico and Texas, adding that there is a separate report for Caroline in Mexico.
Liz also contacted the US Embassy and the FBI.
Frank is studying anthropology at UT Austin’s College of Liberal Arts.
Are LinkedIn reveals that he has been a PhD student at UT Austin since August 2020. Previously, he was enrolled at Pennsylvania State for his master’s degree and at Stanford University for his bachelor’s degree.
Caroline is in the process of opening her own business, Liz said.
In her post, Liz asked people to share this story with as many people as possible. For those 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 speak to specific missing person cases.
He said when UT students go missing abroad while on university business, the university deploys its international Critical Incident Response Team, which works with the U.S. Department of State, embassies and other international authorities.
“In the event of a missing student, UT will provide as much assistance and resources as possible to 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 possible. For people with information.
‘They were just traveling and they would never have disappeared out of nowhere. They had an end goal,” Liz said. “He’s just a student; he’s just an ordinary boy.’