The National Register of Missing and Unlocated Persons (RNPDNO) has returned to the center of the public debate after inconsistencies in data capture were revealed, which could affect both the statistical dimension of the problem and the effectiveness in the search for people. Through concrete examples, specialists and journalists have pointed out that there are incomplete records or generic names that hinder the real identification of victims. Incomplete records and improbable names Journalist Arturo Ángel recently exposed on social media a series of cases registered in the system with irregular or poorly verifiable data. Among the examples are names such as 'MINOR NN', 'CHRIST', 'JUANITO', 'THE TICO', and even 'Gael García Bernal', one of the most recognized Mexican actors internationally. The inclusion of the latter name generated special concern, not because of the veracity of the case, but because of what it reveals: the possibility that the system contains erroneous or incorrectly captured records. In the National Register of Missing Persons, which the Ministry of the Interior has been operating for several years and which has polarized positions on more than one occasion, people are registered with data such as these. ...I want to assume that Gael García Bernal is located. pic.twitter.com/TS9u1ZJ9RA— Arturo Ángel (@arturoangel20)March 27, 2026 The criticism highlights failures in the collection and validation of information, which could lead to a database with structural limitations. This not only affects the accuracy of the figures but also the institutional capacity to locate missing persons. What is the National Register? The RNPDNO is the official database in Mexico that concentrates reports of missing and unlocated persons, fed by prosecutors and authorities from the three levels of government. Its creation responded to the need to unify information and measure the crisis. However, since its implementation, it has been the subject of criticism for inconsistencies, underreporting, and lack of standardization. Recently, the discussion has intensified after attempts by the government to purge data, which has generated tensions with search collectives, who warn about the risk of minimizing the magnitude of the problem.
