Legal question about selling inherited land in Mexico from the U.S.

Location: Illinois, USA. Property is located in San José Atlán, Hidalgo, Mexico.

My father passed away in 2006 and, as far as I know, he owned land in Mexico. I live in the U.S., and my brother and I are trying to figure out if the land was left to us, either through a will or inheritance.

My father told us there was land that would eventually be ours, and my uncles have also confirmed that he owned land. However, we've never seen any paperwork, and we don't know whether he had a will or if the property was ever legally transferred after he passed away.

I'm not sure if the property is officially in our names, still in my father's name, or if anything was ever done through probate or the Mexican legal system. We also don't know what documents we need or who to contact in Mexico to verify ownership.

My main questions are:

- Can we confirm ownership while living in the U.S.?

- Would we need to hire a Mexican attorney or notary?

- Can inherited land in Mexico be sold without us physically traveling there?

- What documents should we start gathering?

- Since my father passed away nearly 20 years ago, is it too late to claim or transfer the property if it was never handled?

Any advice or suggestions on where to start would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!