A veteran California private investigator with over 35 years of experience claims that the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC's Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, is linked to a cartel-connected "money-making venture."
Bill Garcia, based near Sacramento and known for solving challenging missing persons cases in Southern California, told outlets including Border Report that the abduction likely stems from criminal activity in southern Arizona. He pointed to the Tucson area's role as a high-traffic corridor for drug and money transporting operations, deepening his conviction that the case involves people tied to a cartel.
However, Garcia emphasized that he believes Guthrie was not taken across the border into Mexico and may still be held within Arizona.Nancy Guthrie was reported missing from her home in the Catalina Foothills area of Tucson on February 1, 2026.
The investigation remains active more than three weeks later, with searches expanding to landfills, ongoing interviews, and coordination with Mexican authorities—though officials have repeatedly stated there is no evidence of cross-border involvement or cartel activity in the case.
Multiple law enforcement sources and experts, including former FBI agents and a retired U.S. marshal, have downplayed or dismissed direct cartel links, noting that the abduction methods do not match typical cartel operations. Some analysts argue the theory lacks supporting evidence and may be fueled by the case's high-profile nature and proximity to the border.