U.S. Man Was Kidnapped in Arizona and Taken to Mexico Before Rescue

A U.S. man from New York was kidnapped in Arizona and rescued in the Mexican border state of Sonora Sunday.

The State Attorney General’s office in Hermosillo announced the rescue of a U.S. man abducted in Eloy, Arizona, and transported in the trunk of a car. The victim is currently identified only as “Luis Ramón.”

☑️ La @fgjesonora en colaboración con el @FBI logran liberar en #Hermosillo, sano y salvo, a residente de #NuevaYork. Fue secuestrado en las cercanías de #Tucson, #Arizona.

Se evitó el pago de rescate y se detuvo en flagrancia a un probable responsable.#FiscalíaDeResultados pic.twitter.com/jwqdG8EWc2

— #FGJESonora (@fgjesonora) November 3, 2019

According to Breitbart Texas law enforcement sources in Mexico, the victim is originally from the Dominican Republic and based in New York. Eloy is approximately 70 miles south of Phoenix and 120 miles from the U.S.-Mexico Border. In Eloy, the victim was forced into the trunk of a car by at least two kidnappers.

After crossing into Nogales, Sonora, the kidnappers contacted the victim’s brother in Florida for a $500,000 ransom. The relative asked for additional time to raise cash and said he could offer $350,000 after liquidating some property.

The victim’s brother contacted the FBI, who then reached the state attorney general’s office in Sonora. Investigative personnel from La Agencia Ministerial de Investigación Criminal (AMIC) and the specialized state anti-kidnapping unit assumed the case.

Investigators tracked the kidnappers to Hermosillo. They eventually spotted a Honda SUV supposedly involved in the plot. Police subsequently arrested an individual identified only as “José Antonio” as being one of the abductors. The victim was found unharmed. José Antonio is originally from the state of Chihuahua and was found in possession of a .45 caliber pistol.

The initial kidnapping occurred on October 27. The victim’s family paid no ransom, according to investigators. José Antonio was turned over to investigative personnel from the state attorney general’s office.

Robert Arce is a retired Phoenix Police detective with extensive experience working Mexican organized crime and street gangs. Arce completed work assignments in the Balkans, Iraq, Haiti, and recently completed a three-year tour in Monterrey, Mexico, for the U.S. Department of State, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Program.

Editor’s note: This article was updated to reflect that the victim was kidnapped on October 27.