Desperate family asking for answers after loved ones vanished in Mexico

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A family is desperate for answers after their loved ones vanished during a trip to Mexico.

Annel Ochoa has not heard from or seen her mother, father and brother in six months. Maria and Juan Vargas and their 18-year-old son, Daniel were on their way home to Houston from Mexico in January. They had travelled there for a funeral. Somewhere outside Tampico, they went missing.

"We're still hoping one day they'll come back. We hope and pray. The unknown is the hardest part," said Ochoa, who is married with two children.

January 5 was the last time anyone spoke to the family. They were travelling in a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. Mexican authorities have distributed missing persons fliers. Ochoa says she has talked to agencies, politicians and federal police on both sides of the border and can't get any answers.

"It frustrates me that they can find Tom Brady's Jersey in Mexico City, a huge city, but they can't find my three family members," Ochoa said. "I'm hoping someone else can help us. I don't know what to do at this point."

Ochoa says they are all U.S. citizens. Her father owns a body shop in Houston where her brother also works. Her mother has a job. They all live in the Greenspoint area. Ochoa believes they may have been kidnapped, but no one has contacted them for ransom and Ochoa says they have a modest lifestyle. They are appealing for help to bring them home alive.

"I'm praying everyday. I'm very hopeful they are (alive), and I just need answers."

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