Today, the Museo de las Momias operates under military-grade security: motion sensors, 24/7 guard patrols, and an alarm system directly linked to federal police. Visitors are no longer allowed to touch the glass cases, and a special unit monitors for “suspicious photography” that might be used for targeting.
But the psychological scar remains. For the people of Guanajuato, the robbery of the mummies was not just a theft—it was a spiritual violation. Some say that at night, the mummies now look angrier. Others claim that Don Jesús Reyes’s open mouth appears even wider, as if still screaming from his second grave.
Interestingly, the event has also boosted tourism. Dark tourism enthusiasts flock to Guanajuato specifically to see the “surviving” mummies and to hear the story of the heist that almost lost them forever. The museum now sells replica “wanted” posters featuring the unknown robbers.
At approximately 2:00 AM, security cameras captured two shadowy figures cutting through a perimeter fence. They avoided the main entrance, instead breaching a service door that led directly to the oldest crypt section. The alarm system, later revealed to have been disconnected for “maintenance,” never sounded.
The robbers moved with shocking specificity. This was no random vandalism. They brought specialized tools—glass cutters and small hydraulic jacks—to remove the heavy, sealed display cases. robbery of the mummies of guanajuato top
Over the course of 47 minutes, the thieves stole five complete mummies, leaving behind shattered glass and dusty footprints.
Which mummies were taken?
The robbery of the mummies of Guanajuato top officials later described as “not theft, but necro-piracy.”
Perhaps the most famous instance of modern "robbery" regarding the mummies did not involve a break-in, but rather a breach of consent and the manipulation of image. Today, the Museo de las Momias operates under
In 1970, the acclaimed German filmmaker Werner Herzog traveled to Guanajuato to shoot scenes for his film Even Dwarfs Started Small. He entered the museum, then a much more chaotic and unregulated space than it is today. Herzog filmed the mummies extensively, but he did so in a way that the local authorities had not anticipated. He focused his lens on the most disturbing figures—the "screaming" mummies—and utilized clever camera angles to create a sense of horror and existential dread.
This was not a theft of physical property, but a theft of context. Herzog’s film presented the mummies as symbols of madness and hellish suffering. While the footage was artistic, it cemented a global reputation for the mummies that was devoid of their cultural reality. The local people viewed the mummies with a mix of reverence and resignation, accepting death as a part of life. Herzog’s lens "robbed" the mummies of their local humanity, turning them into international monsters for the consumption of horror fans. This cinematic exploitation sparked a debate in Mexico about who owns the image of the dead and how they should be remembered.
A darker, less popular but persistent local legend claims the mummies were taken for a Palo Mayombe or other syncretic occult ritual. Some Afro-Caribbean and Latin American esoteric traditions use human remains in consecrated “nganga” cauldrons. The Guanajuato mummies, having died in the 19th century, are considered “powerful spirits” by certain underworld cultists. Police found a chicken foot and candle wax near the breach point, though this was never officially confirmed.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, an extraordinary and macabre collection of naturally mummified bodies was interred in the Museo de las Momias in Guanajuato, Mexico. These mummies, preserved by the region’s dry, mineral-rich soil and burial conditions, drew widespread attention from scientists, tourists, and paranormal enthusiasts alike. The robbery of the mummies of Guanajuato top
Reports and rumors have circulated over the years about thefts and disturbances involving the mummies. Motivations cited in various accounts include souvenir hunting, illicit sale of body parts, sensationalism for private collectors, and vandalism. Such incidents prompted local authorities and museum staff to increase security measures, including improved display cases, surveillance, and stricter access controls.
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El Robo de las Momias de Guanajuato is a 1972 Mexican lucha libre film featuring iconic wrestlers battling a warlock's resurrected mummies, as shown in IMDb reviews
. Beyond the fiction, the real-life mummies have faced significant neglect, including 22 missing specimens reported in 2020 and reported mishandling of remains during museum renovations. For more details, visit IMDb. El robo de las momias de Guanajuato (1972) - IMDb