EXCLUSIVE INVESTIGATION: Cartels Eyed as Nancy Guthrie's Kidnappers — Anonymous Tips and Shocking Evidence Turn Cops' Attention South of Border
Cartels have been eyed in Nancy Guthrie case as anonymous tips and shocking evidence turn south in probe.
March 5 2026, Published 6:00 a.m. ET
Mounting evidence is pointing to the terrifying conclusion that the tragic kidnapping of Today host Savannah Guthrie's ailing 84-year-old mom in Arizona bears the bloody fingerprints of a violent Mexican drug cartel, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The possibility emerged three weeks after Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home outside of Tucson, when an anonymous tipster reached out to an entertainment news outlet via email to report a sighting of the snatched senior in Mexico.
Bitcoin Ransom Fuels Cartel Fears
Emails received demand 'millions' in Bitcoin for Nancy Guthrie's return.
"I know what I saw 5 days ago south of the border, and I was told to shut up, so I know who he is, and that was definitely Nancy with them," according to emails received by TMZ.
The message was the latest sent by the individual, who demanded "millions" in the cryptocurrency Bitcoin for information leading to Nancy's return.
All of the messages were turned over to the FBI, which has reportedly contacted Mexican authorities about the notoriously vicious drug cartels being culprits in the shocking crime that has gripped the nation since Nancy's disappearance on Feb. 1.
Sources said the concentration on cartels has set the Guthrie family's fears ablaze because of the drug thugs' reputation for torture, neglect, and physical and sexual abuse of their hostages.
A 'Worse Case Scenario'
A former NYPD lawman warned cartel kidnappings are often deadly as the FBI investigates.
"This is a likely – and sadly – worst case scenario," said a former New York Police Department lawman turned criminal defense attorney. "Kidnappings are a business strategy for the cartels. The horrific treatment of their captives is well-documented and more often than not – deadly."
Frightening stories of cartel kidnap victims being waterboarded, electrocuted, and routinely beaten are commonplace, according to experts.
Only two of four Americans who were kidnapped in Matamoros, Mexico, in 2023, which is directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, survived the experience, and they were hospitalized with serious injuries.
Jim Cavanaugh – a retired agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – pointed out Tucson is just 70 miles from America's southern border, where Mexican drug cartels operate. In 2009, its neighboring city of Phoenix was even labeled the kidnapping capital of the United States.
Fears Family Won't Get A Happy Ending
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Private investigator Jason Jensen suggested retaliation tied to the fentanyl trade as a motive.
"This could've been retaliation against the United States' attacks on the cartel's distribution boats in the Caribbean and affecting their fentanyl trade," said renowned private investigator Jason Jensen.
Cartel fears also spiked after investigators briefly detained an individual during a traffic stop in Rio Rico, Ariz., a community located just 12 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.
However, that person was released without charges.
"Speed is of the essence," the attorney added. "If the cartels have her, police need to pinpoint her location for rescue – or pay off their ransom demands as quickly as possible. If they don't, this story won't have a happy ending."
