Miriam Elizabeth Rodrguez Martnez was a prominent Mexican human rights activist who dedicated her life to pursuing justice for victims of horrific crimes. She was born on February 5, 1960.

Tragically, she joined the “Missing Child Parents” organization when her own daughter was taken and murdered. Miriam was fatally shot 12 times in front of her home by unidentified attackers on May 10, 2017.

The Beginning

Miriam Elizabeth Rodrguez Martnez, born on February 5, 1960, in San Fernando, Tamaulipas, Mexico, saw the abduction of her daughter, Karen Alejandra Salinas Rodrguez, in 2012.

Karen Alejandra Salinas Rodrguez, then 20, was driving through San Fernando on that fateful day when two trucks drew up next her. Men armed with firearms then forced their way into her vehicle and drove away with her.

Following Karen’s kidnapping, Rodriguez and her family spent the next few weeks searching for her and bringing her home. They were aware that Karen had been kidnapped by the Zetas cartel, a branch of the Gulf Cartel. This cartel was notorious for kidnapping innocent people and using their ransoms to fund their criminal activities.

Karen’s family made every effort to meet the cartel’s demands. Despite being inundated with phone calls, threats, and requests, they took out a loan to pay Karen’s ransom and left a bag of money at a predetermined location. Karen, on the other hand, did not return home.

Miriam Rodriguez, with no other options, requested a meeting with a cartel member. One agreed to meet with her, much to her surprise. Despite his claim that he had no knowledge of Karen’s whereabouts, he offered to help find her for a fee of $2,000. Rodrguez paid the sum, but it was ultimately ineffective.

Despite her inability to locate Karen, Miriam Rodriguez did learn one thing from the meeting with the cartel member: the young man’s name was Sama.

Miriam Rodrguez saw the discovery of the young man’s name as a breakthrough and informed her surviving daughter. Despite her belief that Karen was no longer alive, she was adamant about bringing her daughter’s kidnappers to justice.

Miriam Rodríguez’s Compelling Desire for Justice

Miriam Rodriguez then meticulously gathered information about her daughter’s kidnappers. She found Sama on Facebook and recognized one of his friends by recognizing her uniform from an ice cream shop. She followed the friend to Sama’s residence after spending hours waiting outside the shop.

Although Rodriguez was able to locate Sama’s residence, she still required additional information. She dyed her hair red, wore an old uniform, and pretended to conduct a “poll” while speaking with his neighbors to avoid drawing attention to herself while sneaking around his neighborhood. Despite being ignored by the authorities, Rodriguez was eventually able to locate a federal police officer willing to assist her.

While Sama initially eluded capture, the police eventually apprehended him. Sama gave authorities the names of other cartel members, who in turn provided more information about Karen’s kidnapping. One of them even agreed to accompany the cops to the ranch where Karen was murdered.

Rodrguez discovered Karen’s belongings at the ranch, including her scarf, a cushion from her truck, and one of her femur bones. This discovery only fueled her determination to find those responsible for her daughter’s death.

Miriam Rodriguez pursued ten people who were involved in her daughter’s kidnapping with zeal. Some had left the cartel to start new lives as born-again Christians or flower vendors, but Rodriguez had little sympathy for them. She was adamant that justice be served for her daughter, no matter what the circumstances or the passage of time.

Miriam Rodrguez expressed her disdain for one of the cartel members who was apprehended in a chapel, eliciting protests from the congregation. “Where was his compassion when they killed my daughter?” she asked. Rodrguez was tenacious in her pursuit of justice, refusing to let anyone forget the heinous crime committed against her daughter.

Miriam Rodriguez is Murdered

In March 2017, a group of 29 inmates escaped from a prison in Ciudad Victoria, where some of Karen’s kidnappers were being held.

Tragically, on May 10, Mother’s Day in Mexico, the dangers of Rodriguez’s mission caught up with her. A white Nissan pulled up in front of her house as she limped toward her front door on crutches (having recently broken her foot while chasing a suspect). Some of the escaped inmates from the penitentiary where Karen’s abductors were being held were driving the car.

The escaped inmates shot Miriam Rodríguez multiple times, before quickly fleeing the scene. Her husband discovered her lying in their driveway, with her hand inside her purse where she kept her own pistol. Her valiant fight for justice had unfortunately come to a tragic end.