She set out with a gun and fake IDs, but it ended in tragedy.

In Mexico, where cartel violence has left over 79,000 people missing, one mother turned her grief into fearless action. After her 20-year-old daughter, Karen, was kidnapped and killed by the Zetas cartel in 2014, Miriam Rodríguez vowed to bring the killers to justice.

She became a one-woman investigator—changing identities, gathering evidence, and tracking down suspects herself. Over three years, she helped capture 10 of her daughter’s murderers, all without official training or support.

Her bravery came at a price. On Mother’s Day in 2017, she was ambushed and killed outside her home—just after helping catch another suspect. But Miriam’s fight sparked a movement. In the years since, her story has inspired protests, policy change, and a renewed push for justice in Mexico.

A plaque now stands in her honor, a reminder that one mother’s courage challenged the cartels and gave a voice to thousands still searching for their missing loved ones.