Lost Treasures - Jeoffrey Guillemard | Photojournalist Mexico

Lost Treasures - The women of the Tesoros Perdidos collective go to the...

The women of the Tesoros Perdidos collective go to the zone of a clandestine... READ ON

Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico, 2019-2022

In Mexico they are called the Rastreadoras or Trackers. The Rastreadoras are mothers armed with picks, shovels, sieve who scour the wilderness in search of remains of their sons buried in clandestine burial pits. Drug cartels in various parts of Mexico have deposited victims’ bodies in several mass graves over the years. In Mazatlán, in the state of Sinaloa, a group of women created their own collective after being confronted with the inefficiency of the government to find their missing loved-ones. It was in 2017, in the waiting room of the investigative police station, on her way to report the disappearance of her son, that Irma Arellanes Hernandez met with women who were in the same situation. Together they decided to organize to start searching on their own. Since then with their collective Tesoros Perdidos (The Lost Treasures), they have found about 140 bodies in mass graves in the outskirts of Mazatlán. “Disappeared”. A term that conveniently deflates crime figures: neither dead nor alive. In Mexico, there are currently about 100,000 disappeared persons, with as many families losing hope every day to finally find the bodies of their loved-ones. This project is part of a long term documentary work focusing on the fate of collateral victims of drug trafficking in Mexico. It was realized with the support of the documentary photography of the CNAP (National Center of Plastic Arts in Paris).

Lost Treasures - An element of the National Guard stands next to the skull...

An element of the National Guard stands next to the skull of a person... READ ON

Lost Treasures - The women of the Tesoro Perdidos collective look for a...

The women of the Tesoro Perdidos collective look for a clandestine grave of... READ ON

Lost Treasures - A Rastreadora holds human bones found in a narco’s...

A Rastreadora holds human bones found in a narco’s clandestine grave.... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Damaris Loaiza and Teresita Osuna observe the search for...

Damaris Loaiza and Teresita Osuna observe the search for a clandestine grave.... READ ON

Lost Treasures - A hole made by Rastreadoras during the search for a...

A hole made by Rastreadoras during the search for a clandestine grave.... READ ON

Lost Treasures - The women search for bodies in narco-controlled...

The women search for bodies in narco-controlled territories, which can be... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Onofre Rios Sevilla disappeared on May 7, 2019 in front...

Onofre Rios Sevilla disappeared on May 7, 2019 in front of a vacant lot now... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Members of the collective during lunch break. Without...

Members of the collective during lunch break. Without help from other... READ ON

Lost Treasures - License plates found in the search area are used to...

License plates found in the search area are used to protect the fire for cook... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Olga Mauricio is looking for her son Luis...

Olga Mauricio is looking for her son Luis González, who disappeared on... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Clothes found on the search area laid out on the ground...

Clothes found on the search area laid out on the ground by the Rastreadoras.... READ ON

Lost Treasures - The women of the collective are sorting the ground with a...

The women of the collective are sorting the ground with a sieve. They are... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Cecilia searches for the body of her missing son by...

Cecilia searches for the body of her missing son by digging a hole in the... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Javier, a young worker at a local funeral home,...

Javier, a young worker at a local funeral home, transports the remains of two... READ ON

Lost Treasures - The Rastreadoras discover bones after having raked the...

The Rastreadoras discover bones after having raked the perimeter during 4... READ ON

Lost Treasures - During the intervention of the forensic expert, the...

During the intervention of the forensic expert, the Rastreadoras stay close... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Ceci Flores inspect a femur of a person probably murdered...

Ceci Flores inspect a femur of a person probably murdered and buried about 7... READ ON

Lost Treasures - A clandestine grave surrounded by police tape. 16/06/22...

A clandestine grave surrounded by police tape. 16/06/22 Juan Jose Rios,... READ ON

Lost Treasures - The national guard inspects the search area while men...

The national guard inspects the search area while men come to throw away... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Forensic expert exhumes human remains from a clandestin...

Forensic expert exhumes human remains from a clandestin grave, they also... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Ceci Flores during the search for her two son in a...

Ceci Flores during the search for her two son in a clandestine... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Consuelo Velarde buries a cross where she has just found...

Consuelo Velarde buries a cross where she has just found the body of her son... READ ON

Lost Treasures - A Rastreadora inspects a piece of cloth. The stains and...

A Rastreadora inspects a piece of cloth. The stains and smells are clues that... READ ON

Lost Treasures - An element of the National Guard accompanied by a...

An element of the National Guard accompanied by a detection dog for human... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Micaela Ramos Carranza 56 and Jose Efrain Villela 62 are...

Micaela Ramos Carranza 56 and Jose Efrain Villela 62 are looking for their... READ ON

Lost Treasures - A makeshift shelter made by criminals at the time of...

A makeshift shelter made by criminals at the time of burial of their victims.... READ ON

A hole made by Rastreadoras during the search for a clandestine grave. Since... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Jesus Ernesto Brambila Yepez, 27 years old disappeared on...

Jesus Ernesto Brambila Yepez, 27 years old disappeared on June 27, 2017 at... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Irma Arellanes Hernandez, 47, founder of the Lost...

Irma Arellanes Hernandez, 47, founder of the Lost Treasures group, instructs... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Irma Arellanes Hernandez, 47 years old, founder of the...

Irma Arellanes Hernandez, 47 years old, founder of the collective Tesoros... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Irma had the names of her children Nahomi and Alain...

Irma had the names of her children Nahomi and Alain tattooed on her right... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Fabiola Guadalupe Tirado Guarcia 19 years old with her 3...

Fabiola Guadalupe Tirado Guarcia 19 years old with her 3 year and a half year... READ ON

Lost Treasures - The group of the Lost Treasures, looks at the movements...

The group of the Lost Treasures, looks at the movements of the excavator... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Noemy Padilla, 43 years old, is looking for her son Juan...

Noemy Padilla, 43 years old, is looking for her son Juan Carlos Riviera... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Juan Carlos Riviera Padilla, 23, the son of Noemy...

Juan Carlos Riviera Padilla, 23, the son of Noemy Padilla, has been missing... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Juan Carlos Riviera Padilla, 23, has been missing since...

Juan Carlos Riviera Padilla, 23, has been missing since May 27, 2019. He was... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Human bone remains on a plastic bag awaiting the...

Human bone remains on a plastic bag awaiting the intervention of the forensic... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Laura Ivonne Valdez Ramirez, 30 years old, is looking for...

Laura Ivonne Valdez Ramirez, 30 years old, is looking for her uncle Ricardo... READ ON

Lost Treasures - An altar in memory of her late uncle and her little girl...

An altar in memory of her late uncle and her little girl who died at the age... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Laura Ivonne Valdez Ramirez, 30, inspects the soil with...

Laura Ivonne Valdez Ramirez, 30, inspects the soil with her iron bar. By... READ ON

Lost Treasures - The Rastreadoras leave the search area after a seven-hour...

The Rastreadoras leave the search area after a seven-hour day of searching... READ ON

Lost Treasures - Mazatlán is far from being a cut-throat city as...

Mazatlán is far from being a cut-throat city as one might imagine... READ ON

JEOFFREY GUILLEMARD

Jeoffrey Guillemard | Photojournalist Mexico