EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — Two U.S. citizens have been rescued after being kidnapped outside a popular bar/restaurant in Juarez, Mexico.
According to a news release from the Chihuahua state Attorney General’s Office, two young Americans were abducted at about 9 p.m. Friday and taken to a house in the Manuel J. Cloutier neighborhood, where they were held for nearly three days.
Chihuahua state police said at least one witness was present at the time of the alleged kidnapping. It happened on Avenida De La Americas, in the heart of the PRONAF entertainment district. The name of the restaurant was not disclosed, but was described as well-known establishment.
The state’s Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Strategic Operations said its anti-kidnapping unit launched an investigation upon learning of the kidnapping, coordinating with the Secretary of Public Safety and the FBI.
The investigation led authorities to a house in South Juarez, where not only the two Americans were, but three other migrants were being held for ransom.
Investigators say the migrants — a woman from China, a woman from southeastern Mexico, and a man from Guatemala — showed signs of violence on their necks, attempted strangulation, and cuts on their ears, which their captors reportedly inflicted with knives to pressure their families to pay the ransom.
At the house, authorities also arrested three individuals described as guards. Police identified them as 22-year-old Daniel Fermín B.R., aka “El Mou”; 18-year-old Marco Irving G.L., aka “El Toro”; and 22-year-old Omar Ricardo L.F., aka “El Lazca.” Police also seized three firearms, which they say were used to threaten those held captive.
A fourth individual, 22-year-old Cristian Eirin S. M., aka “El Coquito,” was arrested after police secured a court order. Investigators say he had ransom money on his person. All four face kidnapping charges.
The two Americans were only identified by their initials: D.R.O., and J.C.L.
In a statement, the Attorney General’s Office said it “reaffirms its commitment to combat the crime of kidnapping with the full force of the state, to capture and bring those responsible to justice, and to provide certainty and peace of mind to the victims and their families.”