Private Investigator in Mexico
Investigating lawyers and field investigators. World Trade Center, Mexico City. National coverage.
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Private Investigators and Investigating Lawyers in Mexico City
Warden Consulting is a private investigation firm in Mexico City. Our investigating lawyers and investigators work from the World Trade Center in Colonia Nápoles and take instructions in all 32 Mexican states. The firm was founded in 1995 and acts for companies, law firms and individuals in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand who have a matter in Mexico, and for clients inside Mexico.
We locate people, verify companies, document conduct and trace money, and we report in a form that can be relied on in court. Call +52 55 9602 3333 (Mexico City) or +1 646 931 0281 (United States). Inquiries are confidential. Our guide on how to hire a private investigator in Mexico sets out the questions to ask before you instruct anyone.
Speak with an investigator in Mexico City
A confidential first conversation, in English or Spanish, 24 hours a day.
Private Investigation Services in Mexico
Most instructions fall under one of the services below. Corporate and legal work makes up the larger part of our practice, and we also accept conventional private investigator instructions from individuals and families. Every matter is scoped in writing, supervised by an investigating lawyer and reported in English, with the Spanish originals attached wherever documents are obtained.
Background Checks in Mexico
We run background checks on people and companies in Mexico for employers, investors, landlords, attorneys and individuals abroad. A check on a person covers identity, civil and criminal court records, company appointments and shareholdings, property, professional credentials, media and social media, and, with the subject's consent, employment and credit history. A check on a company covers registration, officers, shareholders, litigation, tax standing and physical premises. Mexico keeps these records state by state and much of the material is not online, so we search the states where the subject has actually lived or traded and confirm the record in person where it is ambiguous. You receive a written report that gives the source of every finding. Our guide to running a background check in Mexico sets out which records exist and what each one can establish.
Locating People in Mexico
We locate missing persons, debtors, witnesses, heirs, birth parents and people who have lost contact with family. Mexico has no public register of residents, so a locate is built from civil registry, property, company, court and commercial records and then confirmed by a visit. Send us the full name, date of birth or approximate age, last known city and any phone number, employer or relative you have, and we will tell you within one business day whether that is enough to start. When a person is found we make contact only in the way you instruct, and we never disclose your inquiry to the subject. Where a missing person report already exists we coordinate with the state prosecutor's office and consular staff. Our guide on how to find someone in Mexico explains which records can lawfully place a person.
Surveillance and Field Inquiries
Surveillance in Mexico is lawful when it is carried out from places open to the public, without intercepting communications and without entering private property. Our field teams work in unmarked vehicles with Spanish-speaking investigators who know the city they are assigned to. Every observation is logged with time, place and a photographic or video record, and the log is signed by the investigator so that it can be produced as evidence. We use surveillance to confirm residence, employment, business activity, cohabitation and the movement of goods, and to test claims in insurance, employment and family matters. Daily rates are fixed before deployment and you receive a summary at the end of each day.
Fraud, Scams and Asset Tracing
Investment fraud, property and rental scams, romance scams and payment diversion are the matters we see most often from clients abroad. The first question in each is where the money went and what the people who took it own in Mexico. We identify the individuals and companies behind the scheme, trace funds through Mexican accounts and property, and map the assets a court can reach. That work is set out in full on our page on asset tracing in Mexico. Where a criminal complaint is warranted we prepare it with the evidence attached, and where recovery is realistic we work with counsel on freezing and enforcement.
Fraud investigation in Mexico ›Asset tracing in Mexico ›Corporate and Internal Investigations
Theft, procurement fraud, kickbacks, conflicts of interest, harassment and data leakage inside a Mexican subsidiary or supplier need to be investigated in a way that holds up afterwards. We interview witnesses, secure documents and devices under a chain of custody, and reconstruct transactions with forensic accountants. Where the outcome is a dismissal, the file is built to meet Article 47 of the Federal Labor Law, which lists the grounds for termination without liability and puts the burden of proving them on the employer.
Internal investigations in Mexico ›Due Diligence on Mexican Companies and Partners
Before you sign with a Mexican supplier, distributor, joint venture partner or acquisition target, we establish who owns and controls it, what litigation it is involved in, whether its tax and social security standing is what it claims, and whether its premises and operations exist as described. We also screen for links to sanctioned persons and to the Mexican cartels the United States designated as terrorist organizations in 2025, a change we set out in our analysis of cartel and FTO risk in Mexico. Reports carry a clear risk rating and the evidence behind each finding.
Due diligence in Mexico ›Litigation Support and Witness Statements
For attorneys abroad we locate witnesses in Mexico, take statements in Spanish and English, arrange notarization before a Mexican notary public and apostille under the Hague Convention, and prepare the ground for serving legal documents in Mexico, which is carried out by the Mexican court through the Central Authority. We identify assets ahead of enforcement, verify the operational reality of an opposing party and obtain documentary evidence in the form Mexican civil procedure produces it. Every file records who obtained each item, when and how, so that admissibility is settled before it is argued. We do not act as trial counsel. We work alongside yours.
Personal and Family Matters
We accept personal instructions where the purpose is lawful and the client has a legitimate interest: evidence of infidelity or cohabitation for divorce and alimony proceedings, welfare checks on a child or elderly relative in Mexico, pre-marital background checks and verification of a person met online. These matters are handled by a small team, reported only to you and conducted within Mexican privacy law.
Executive Protection and Secure Transport
For executives, professionals and families traveling in Mexico we provide English-speaking security drivers, standard or armored vehicles, advance work and protective intelligence on the places you will visit.
Executive protection in Mexico ›Why Instruct a Mexico City Firm Rather Than a Foreign Agency With a Mexican Network
Most firms that advertise private investigator services in Mexico are based outside the country. Some send their own staff. Many pass the work to a local operator whose name you will never learn, add a margin and forward whatever comes back. Each handover costs you money, time and control, and when a job is brokered twice the person doing the field work has no contract with you and no reason to protect your confidentiality.
Warden Consulting is the firm doing the work. Our office is on the 28th floor of the World Trade Center in Mexico City, our investigators are employed or directly retained by us, and an investigating lawyer supervises each matter from scoping to report. You know who is on your file and you can meet them.
Lawyer supervision matters for a second reason. Evidence gathered in Mexico is only useful if it was gathered lawfully and can be shown to have been. We decide at the outset what a Mexican court, a foreign court or an arbitral tribunal will need and obtain it in that form: certified registry extracts, notarized statements, apostilled documents, photographs and logs with an unbroken chain of custody. Reports are written in English by people who read the Spanish originals, and the originals are attached.
A license issued abroad carries no authority in Mexico. An office in Mexico City, Mexican lawyers and a documented chain of custody do.
Are Private Investigators Legal in Mexico?
Yes. Private investigation is legal in Mexico and it is regulated. The Federal Private Security Law (Ley Federal de Seguridad Privada) treats the obtaining of reports on the background, solvency, whereabouts or activities of persons as a private security service, authorized federally for firms working across states and by the state for firms working within one. There is no individual investigator's license in Mexico, so the credential to ask for is the firm's authorization and the standing of the people who supervise the work.
The law also fixes what an investigator may not do. Private communications may not be intercepted without a federal judge's order. Private property may not be entered without consent. No one may pose as a police officer or public official, obtain records through unofficial payments or access government databases that are not public. Personal data gathered in an investigation is protected by the federal data protection law, reissued in 2025 with stricter consent rules.
Because our matters are run by lawyers, these limits are applied at the planning stage rather than discovered in court. A foreign investigator's license carries no authority in Mexico, and evidence obtained outside these rules is open to challenge.
How Much Does a Private Investigator Cost in Mexico?
Most of our work is quoted as a fixed fee for a defined scope, so you know the cost before we start. Background checks, company verification and locates are priced as fixed fees once we know the states to be searched and the depth required. Surveillance is priced per day for a team with vehicle, agreed before deployment, plus approved expenses. Fraud, asset tracing, corporate and litigation matters are quoted on an estimate after a scoping call, usually in stages so that each stage is approved before the next begins.
What moves the price is the number of states to be searched, whether court files or closed sources must be examined in person, travel outside the main cities, urgency and whether the report is needed in both languages. We quote within one business day of receiving the facts, and hourly billing is used only where it is agreed in advance.
How an Investigation Works
You call, email or use the form on this page. A senior member of the Mexico City team, not a call center, takes the details.
We confirm we are free to act, identify the question the investigation must answer and tell you what is realistic and what is not.
You receive a fixed fee or a staged estimate, the scope, the timetable and the form the report will take. Nothing starts until you approve it.
Registry, court and open-source research is combined with site visits, interviews and, where instructed, surveillance. You receive progress updates at agreed points and are told immediately if the facts change the plan.
A written report in English, with Spanish originals attached, prepared to an evidential standard, which means written so that it can be relied on before a court, tribunal or regulator. Each finding shows its source. Where the matter goes further, we brief your counsel and give evidence if required.
Nationwide Coverage From Mexico City
We work from Mexico City and travel, so a matter in Cancún or Tijuana starts within days. Where a case needs continuous local presence we use investigators resident in that state, under our supervision and contract.
Mexico City and the State of Mexico. Corporate investigations, court and registry searches, surveillance and executive protection from our own office.
Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and the Riviera Maya. Property and rental fraud against foreigners, missing persons, welfare checks and verification of developers and landlords.
Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta. Expatriate matters, property disputes and background checks on local partners and contractors.
Guadalajara, Monterrey and Querétaro. Manufacturing, technology and nearshoring counterparties, supplier verification and internal investigations.
Tijuana, Ciudad Juárez, Mexicali and the border states. Maquiladora and logistics matters, cross-border asset tracing and employee investigations.
Mérida, Oaxaca, Veracruz and Manzanillo. Agricultural, port and energy counterparties, witness location and record searches in states where much of the record is still on paper.
Our office. Warden Consulting, Montecito 38, Piso 28, Oficina 16, Colonia Nápoles, Benito Juárez, 03810, Ciudad de México.
Recent Matters
Middle East oil and gas company
A supplier payment of USD 3 million was diverted to a Mexican bank account after the client's email was compromised. We traced the funds and identified the account holder, and a bank freeze secured them within two weeks. The remaining USD 500,000 was recovered two months later.
US family law firm
A child taken to Chihuahua against a United States custody order. Three weeks of surveillance established the daily pattern at the address and confirmed the child's residence and school, documented to the standard the court required. The child was returned to the United States.
Foreign-owned manufacturer
Suspected procurement irregularities at a plant in Querétaro. We connected two suppliers to employees and quantified USD 450,000 of inflated invoicing across six months, documented to the standard required for dismissal for just cause under Article 47 of the Federal Labor Law. The loss was recovered.
More matters and press coverage are on our cases and media page.
Investigating Lawyers Based in Mexico City
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Mark van Leewarden
Founder & MD
LinkedInMark went undercover in the New Zealand Police at age 20. He quickly infiltrated an organized crime operation, resulting in numerous serious crime convictions, including murder. He went on to become a detective investigating all types of criminal conduct. Mark graduated with an honors degree in law before founding Warden Consulting in 1995. He practises as a barrister, and working across all aspects of the business, he has traced, frozen and distributed assets back to clients in Asia, Europe and The Americas.
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Ben van Leewarden
General Manager
LinkedInBen van Leewarden is a private investigator with over 8 years’ experience in international fraud, cryptocurrency-related investigations, due diligence, and workplace investigations. Based in Mexico City, he leads Warden Consulting’s Mexico operations and brings international experience from operating the business in Amsterdam, New York, and London. Ben holds a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) from Victoria University of Wellington.
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Pablo Rivera
Investigating Lawyer
LinkedIn
Pablo is an investigating lawyer supporting Warden Consulting across litigation support, due diligence, and investigative engagements, combining legal analysis with structured, evidence-led execution. Based in Mexico City and trained at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), he holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) and contributes to cross-border matters through fact development, legal writing, and strategic case positioning.
Need urgent assistance in Mexico?
Urgent matters are answered 24 hours a day. We can usually be working in Mexico City the same day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are private investigators legal in Mexico?
Yes. Investigation services are a regulated private security activity under the Federal Private Security Law, with federal authorization for firms working across states and state permits for local firms. There is no individual investigator's license in Mexico. Investigators may not intercept communications, enter private property or impersonate officials, and personal data is protected by federal law.
How much does a private investigator cost in Mexico?
Background checks, company verification and locates are fixed fees agreed before work starts. Surveillance is a fixed daily rate for a team with vehicle. Corporate, fraud and litigation matters are quoted in stages after a scoping call. The number of states searched, in-person court work, travel and urgency drive the price. We quote within one business day.
How do I hire a private investigator in Mexico safely?
Choose a firm with a physical office in Mexico that you can visit, ask who will do the field work and under what authorization, and insist on a written scope and fee before anything starts. Be cautious of unnamed local operators and of investigators who propose obtaining records unofficially. Evidence gathered unlawfully is worthless in court and exposes you.
Can you run a background check on a Mexican citizen?
Yes. We check identity, court records, company interests, property, credentials and media in the states where the person has lived or traded. Employment and credit information requires the subject's consent under Mexican data protection law. You receive a written report showing the source of each finding, usually within five to ten business days.
Can you find someone in Mexico with only a name and a city?
Often, yes. Mexican names carry two surnames, which helps, and a date of birth, age or a relative's name improves the odds further. We tell you within one business day whether the information is enough to start and quote a fixed fee. Contact with the person, if any, is made only as you instruct.
Do you work with attorneys outside Mexico?
Yes. Most of our litigation support work is for law firms abroad, most often in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. We locate witnesses, take and notarize statements, arrange apostilles, verify opposing parties, identify assets before enforcement and obtain documents in the form Mexican procedure produces them. We do not act as trial counsel.
Can evidence gathered in Mexico be used in a court outside Mexico?
Yes, if it was obtained lawfully and its origin can be proved. We record who obtained each item, when and how, have statements notarized before a Mexican notary and apostilled under the Hague Convention, and provide certified translations. Whether a particular item is admitted is for the court and your counsel.
How fast can you start?
Urgent matters are answered 24 hours a day and we can usually be working in Mexico City the same day and in other states within two to three days. Background checks typically take five to ten business days, locates one to three weeks, and corporate matters run to an agreed timetable.
Is everything handled in English?
Yes. Every matter is managed by an English-speaking member of the Mexico City team and every report is written in English. The Spanish originals of documents and statements are attached, and certified translations are provided where a court requires them.
Do you cover Cancún, Los Cabos and other resort areas?
Yes. Property and rental fraud, missing persons, welfare checks and background checks on developers, landlords and local partners in Quintana Roo, Baja California Sur and Jalisco are a regular part of our work. We deploy from Mexico City within days and use resident investigators under our supervision where a case needs continuous presence.
Still have a question? Call +52 55 9602 3333 or +1 646 931 0281, or use the form below.
Request a confidential call
Tell us briefly what has occurred. A senior member of the Mexico City team reviews every inquiry and responds within one business day.
What happens next
Mexico City office
World Trade Center
Montecito 38, Piso 28, Oficina 16
Nápoles, Benito Juárez
03810 Ciudad de México
Calls are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in English and Spanish. Rated 5.0 on Google.
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