N+ Collaborator Juan Díaz Found Alive in Sinaloa

Juan Díaz Medina, an engineer and drone operator for the news organization N+, was located alive on April 3, 2026, following a large-scale search operation in the municipality of El Rosario, Sinaloa.

Díaz had been reported missing while providing news coverage of rescue efforts for miners trapped at the Santa Fe mine. He was found at approximately 06:05 hours on April 3 in the town of Chele, where he had last been seen operating his equipment.

According to reports, Díaz disappeared after the drone he was using to document the rescue operations fell, allegedly due to a signal inhibitor. He reportedly entered the area to retrieve the device and failed to return.

Military Search Operation

The search for the engineer was led by the Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (Defensa), which deployed a significant number of resources to locate him. The operation included 496 members of the Mexican Army, supported by an intelligence cell and at least 60 vehicles.

The military utilized various technological and specialized resources during the search, including:

• Three UH-60 helicopters equipped with night vision capabilities.
• 15 drones, including one with thermal imaging capacity.
• Five specialized K9 search pairs.

The news of his recovery was confirmed by N+ journalist Danielle Dithurbide, who stated during a news broadcast:

Esta mañana, elementos de la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional encontraron con vida y bien a nuestro compañero Juan Díaz

Danielle Dithurbide

Condition and Recovery

Upon being located, Díaz was described as conscious but visibly exhausted. Military paramedics provided immediate medical attention inside a tactical vehicle, and ambulance.

Medical evaluations revealed that the engineer was suffering from dehydration and had sustained a friction injury to his right foot, which authorities attributed to walking through rough terrain during the time he was missing.

Santa Fe Mine Rescue Context

The disappearance of Juan Díaz occurred during the ongoing emergency response to a collapse at the Santa Fe mine, which took place on March 25, 2026. The collapse initially trapped four workers inside the facility.

To date, one worker, José Alejandro Cástulo Colín, has been rescued alive. Three other miners remain trapped within the mine.

Rescue efforts are currently being coordinated by the Unified Command Post of the Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana, working in collaboration with local authorities and the Mexican Armed Forces.