AUSTIN, Texas — An eternal wander luster is how Elizabeth Guzman sees her brother Frank, a PhD student at UT Austin studying anthropology.
"He loves traveling. He loves learning. I don't think he was ever meant to you know settle down somewhere," Elizabeth said. "He wants to be a part of the world."
Frank Daniel Guzman was reported missing by the Texas Department of Public Safety after he was last seen in Austin on July 18.
According to Elizabeth, her brother was traveling through Mexico with his wife, Caroline Katba, when friends and family said they lost contact with the couple on July 22. Guzman's sister said they believe their last known location was in the Veracruz state of Mexico in the town of Coatzacoalcos.
Guzman and Katba were traveling by car to Chile so Guzman could do some research for his doctorate at the University of Texas at Austin. They were driving in a gray 2016 Toyota Prius hatchback with the Texas license plate SDM 2449.
Earlier this month, Elizabeth says she informed the FBI, with her life now being consumed with finding answers.
"There's a version of me that felt normal before all of this, and now I can't be," Elizabeth said. "I'm a sibling who desperately misses her brother and her sister in law."
Nestor Rincon has been friends with Frank Guzman since high school.
"Now it's getting to the point where you're thinking about the bad scenarios, right?" Rincon said. "Now, there's this question of, you know, are there going to be any more memories to make? Or is this what we have left?"
It is a reality that Elizabeth does not want to face, clinging to hope she will get to the truth.
"They had a lot more going for them than most people I know and if something or someone got in the way of that, it's heartbreaking," Elizabeth said.
U.S. places Veracruz under travel warning
The State Department issued a warning for those traveling to the Veracruz state.
Currently, Veracruz is under a "Exercise Increased Caution" warning due to violent crime and gang activity, particularly in Cordoba and Coatzacoalcos.
The State Department said while most of the gang-related violence is targeted, bystanders can be affected. It also said impromptu roadblocks that require payment to pass are common.
Guzman's sister said UT Austin and American and Mexican authorities are working to find the couple. Anyone with information on the couple can contact the DPS Missing Persons Clearinghouse.
KVUE News did reach out to UT on any details about the search and says they cannot provide information on a student-related matter but says the university does have an international critical incident response team that works with the State Department and other embassies to locate travelers.