A Colombian journalist has been held by US immigration authorities in Florida for six days without her whereabouts appearing in official records, an Iranian translator remains in detention in Shiraz after more than three months with no judicial progress, and the disappearance of an 84-year-old American woman has been clouded by three ransom notes the FBI now says were fabricated.

In the United States, Francy Urrea Solano, a journalist from Cúcuta, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on 24 June as she left her workplace, according to her husband, Jhon Meneses. The family, who arrived in the US legally a year and a half ago and have an active asylum application, say they hold work permits, social security numbers, and driving licences. Meneses told local media that his wife does not appear in the ICE detainee locator system, making it impossible for a lawyer to file a formal request for her release. He added that during brief phone calls she described being held in a dark room and moved frequently between detention centres, and that she has been pressured to sign a voluntary deportation document. US immigration authorities have not publicly commented on the case.

In Iran, Behzad Yazdani, a Baha’i translator and editor, has been held for more than 95 days in the quarantine section of Adelabad prison in Shiraz, according to a source familiar with the matter. He was arrested at his home alongside his wife, Romina Khazali, by security agents on 29 March. While Khazali was released temporarily on bail of 30 billion rials on 21 June, Yazdani remains in detention with no formal charges communicated to the family and no ruling on the extension of his temporary detention, the source said. His family report that he has developed back pain due to prison conditions and has been denied adequate medical care. Iranian authorities have not responded to requests for information, the source added.

In Arizona, the FBI has concluded that three messages related to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of television presenter Savannah Guthrie, are not authentic. A federal official told Reuters that two ransom notes that surfaced in early February, shortly after the 84-year-old was last seen at her Tucson home on 31 January, and a third more recent message claiming knowledge of the kidnappers, were all deemed false. Investigators deposited a small amount of cryptocurrency into an account specified in the first note, but the funds were never touched. The Pima County Sheriff’s Office, which leads the investigation, said DNA samples and video evidence remain under forensic analysis. A reward of more than $1 million is still offered for information.

Across the three cases, families are left waiting for clarity. In Florida, the journalist’s relatives are raising funds for legal expenses while her husband cares for their three young children. In Shiraz, Yazdani’s family continues to seek any official word on his case. In Tucson, the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance remains active, though the false ransom notes have shifted the focus away from a kidnapping-for-ransom premise. No charges have been filed in any of the cases, and authorities in all three jurisdictions describe the investigations as ongoing.