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Family Seeks Answers After 13-Year-Old Girl Mysteriously Dies at Military Summer Camp
The teenager, identified as Dafne Zapata Quintos Martínez, arrived at the Marina Doenitz Military Academy in Ciudad Madero on July 13 to participate in a summer training program.
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According to reports, only four days after arriving at the camp, Dafne’s mother, Alejandra Quintos, received a heartbreaking phone call informing her that her daughter had died.
Speaking about the devastating loss, Alejandra recalled the last time she saw her daughter.
“I handed her over alive and healthy. She came here for a summer course, a military-style camp.
“All they tell me is that she suddenly collapsed in the bathroom out of nowhere, and then 10 minutes later they call me to say she has no vital signs.”
The family reportedly paid 25,000 Mexican pesos (MXN) for Dafne to attend the camp, with the understanding that staff members would provide regular updates about her well-being throughout the program.
According to Alejandra, a staff member identified as Estrella Mora contacted her on Tuesday, July 14, explaining that Dafne had vomited and fainted during a physical activity, causing her to fall face-first and injure her lip.
The following day, Mora reportedly informed the family that Dafne had recovered, saying she felt better after receiving medication, fluids, and medical attention from a specialist.
However, events took a tragic turn on Thursday, July 17, when Alejandra received another phone call. She was told that her daughter was experiencing coughing, vomiting, and incontinence and was being treated with medication. Minutes later, another call informed her that Dafne had passed away.
When Alejandra traveled from the family’s home in Ciudad Mante to the academy, she said her daughter’s body had already been placed inside a body bag.
Days after the incident, another girl who attended the same camp reportedly shared disturbing allegations about the treatment of participants.
“When Dafne was standing, they pushed her and she fell face-first.
“Then they took her to the room, and when they punished her, they would submerge her face in water, and when she couldn’t take it any more, they would make her keep running.”
Dafne’s grandmother also claimed the teenager had visible injuries on different parts of her face.
“They beat her, I know they beat her,” she told local media.
Following Dafne’s death, several parents reportedly went to the academy to take their children home. Some of the children have since provided statements to prosecutors investigating the case.
According to reports, one child alleged that students were forced to take drugs to endure demanding training exercises, while another claimed participants were made to hit one another as part of camp activities.
The academy’s director, Jorge Luis Ponce Ortega, has denied all allegations of abuse or mistreatment. He told investigators that Dafne arrived at the camp with an undiagnosed medical condition.
Speaking to local media, he said:
“She suddenly collapsed while she was showering and never woke up.”
According to Dafne’s death certificate, the official cause of death was listed as:
“asphyxia caused by submersion”.
Her family has announced plans to hire independent forensic experts to conduct a second autopsy in hopes of determining exactly what happened.
Meanwhile, the Tamaulipas Prosecutor’s Office has sealed the military academy as investigators continue examining the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s death.
Dafne is being remembered by loved ones for her kind and caring nature.
“She loved her little dogs and looked after them with immense patience and love,” read a tribute to Dafne.
Her grieving mother has vowed to continue seeking justice for her daughter.
“I love you, my Dafne. I will fight for justice until my last breath.
