A 26-year-old U.S. citizen has filed a criminal complaint against members of his own family, accusing them of holding him against his will for more than five months amid a bitter dispute over the inheritance of a family restaurant in Tijuana.
Axel Rolando Suárez Gutiérrez, who was born in the United States, told reporters Thursday that the alleged kidnapping stemmed from a conflict over “Chicho’s,” a family business located in the Marrón neighborhood of Tijuana. He also expressed fear of retaliation for speaking out and said he would seek support from U.S. authorities.
According to Suárez, the family tensions began after his father’s death on December 5, 2021. He alleges that his mother then pushed documents that would force him and his siblings to renounce their inheritance rights.
“They made us sign a disclaimer. My mother encouraged it. A disclaimer so she could keep everything,” he said.
He explained that he and his siblings were still grieving their father’s loss and were confused about the documents they were signing.
“Some of us were forced, others were confused by the situation and our father’s death,” he recounted.
Suárez said he became suspicious when his mother’s new partner tried to get involved in running the family business. “I didn’t like that at all,” he stated.
In testimony previously given to the Baja California State Attorney General’s Office (FGE), Suárez alleged that on November 29, 2025, he was lured to his mother’s home and then subdued by several men dressed in black and wearing hoods.
“They put me in a van and took me to a clinic,” he said. “I already knew it was about the inheritance and forged signatures on an intestate document.”
He said he was first admitted to a clinic called “Nuevo Ser,” where he immediately told staff he was being held against his will. Days later, personnel from the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Forced Disappearance arrived at the clinic following a search initiated by his then-partner.
Notably, the State Attorney General’s Office had issued a search bulletin for Suárez on December 2, 2025. Authorities found him at the clinic the following day but according to Suárez, they did not free him.
He claims he was then transferred to another property in the Sánchez Taboada neighborhood, where he remained incommunicado for about five months in unsanitary conditions.
During that time, he said, his family tried to frame the situation as a psychiatric problem, even though he had only previously received treatment for mild depression.
Suárez said he managed to secretly contact his lawyer and was finally located and rescued on May 7 with the help of authorities, human rights organizations, and journalists.
He has also reported threats against himself, his partner, his friends, and his legal representative, as well as the alleged unauthorized control of his digital accounts and social media by one of his sisters.
Criminal complaints have now been filed against several family members and other alleged participants on charges including illegal deprivation of liberty, threats, and digital identity theft.
“I hold these people responsible for anything that might happen to me or to those who are helping me,” Suárez said.
