Posted on 11/29/2006 3:39:49 AM PST by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin
HARLINGEN — Three U.S. citizens — including a prominent Laredo customs broker and a Sweetwater businessman — were kidnapped Sunday along with two others after going deer hunting in northern Mexico, U.S. authorities said Tuesday. A gang of armed men swept into the 6,500-acre Rancho La Barranca in the northern state of Coahuila Sunday evening and abducted the five, including customs broker Librado Piña Jr., 49; his son, Librado Piña III, 25; Sweetwater businessman David Mueller, 45; and two Mexicans — ranch cook Marco Ortiz and Monterrey resident Fidel Rodriguez Cerdan. Though details were sketchy Tuesday night, U.S. officials and relatives of the kidnapped men were stunned by the attack. ''We're pulling out all the stops," said one U.S. law enforcement agent, who asked not to be identified.
''We're going to go through the proper channels, but obviously we have back channels ... from years of experience trying to resolve these things." A Mexican investigator who spoke on condition of anonymity said the ranch was ransacked and such items as washing machines and beds were stolen, giving the case an unusual twist. "In a kidnapping, they aren't going to go about stealing objects," said the official. "It's an unusual situation." The abductions of Piña Jr., his son and Mueller bring this year's tally of Americans kidnapped in Mexico to 33.
Of those, 14 Americans were kidnapped in the Nuevo Laredo area.
No previous threats
Piña family members said they suspected the kidnapping was financially motivated. "We absolutely cannot pinpoint the reason for this," a family member said. "We believe they saw a wealthy person with a big ranch house in Mexico and they went to see what they could steal." Family members said Piña Jr. had not been threatened. "If he had, he would have never gone to the ranch and put his life or the life of other people in danger," said another family member. Family members said they learned about the crime after two Mexican clients traveled to the ranch for a hunt, but found the house in shambles. The Piñas say they immediately contacted Mexican officials in Nuevo Laredo and Coahuila and met with the FBI that afternoon. Piña Jr. owns the ranch, which offers trophy whitetail-deer hunts and is located about a 30-minute drive northwest of the Colombia Bridge in Laredo. Santos Vasquez Estrada, the local head of the Coahuila state attorney general's office, said Piña Jr. may have been the main target of the attack. The U.S. law enforcement source who spoke on condition of anonymity said it does not appear that the abducted men had any connection to ongoing turf wars that have killed hundreds of people in Mexico this year. ''We don't, at this time, have any hard evidence that any of these people were involved in any illicit activity," the source said.
Group was well-armed
The five men were hunting at the ranch about 8 p.m. Sunday when the assailants arrived. ''A large group did take over the ranch, and they were well-armed," the source said. U.S. officials said Tuesday that no ransom requests had been made so far. ''Since the kidnapping occurred within the sovereign nation of Mexico, the FBI has initiated a Foreign Police Cooperation investigation," said a statement from D. True Brown, acting special agent in charge of the FBI's San Antonio division. La Barranca ranch is one of two owned by Piña Jr., a second-generation Laredo customs broker, industrialist and owner of the Corona beer distributorship. His abduction shocked members of the close-knit Texas Deer Association. ''Librado has been a director on our board for several years, and is a good active member," said president Scott W. Bugai, a veterinarian from Seguin.
''I've been down to his ranch in Laredo, and he's a super-nice guy," Bugai said. ''This is a shock. What's the world coming to?" Lane Laning, the deer association's treasurer, said Piña Jr. has worked hard to introduce game management to ranches in northern Mexico. ''Boy, I'm praying for him ... and for Mr. Mueller, too," said Laning, who manages the 5F Game Ranch outside of Sweetwater. ''It's sad Mexico is turning out like this." Employees of Mueller's company, Sweetwater Steel, were distraught. ''It's been a long day, a pretty rough day," said J.L. Goldsmith, a salesman at the company that sells steel for construction. San Antonio Express-News correspondent Sean Mattson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
They knew the risks to go to Mexico. You can't feel sorry for anyone who takes that risk for nothing more than fun and pleasure.
Where is Black Jack Pershing now that we need him......
......lets get 'punitive' on they @sses!
No real argument from me. However, it doesn't make it right to kidnap someone because they could afford to go on a hunting trip, either. Or, does it? If so, then maybe we could start grabbing people on this side of the border who go on nice trips. Hmmmmm.....
Why go to Mexico to hunt?
What we need to do is eliminate the borders and form some sort of an "American Union". Maybe even build a super highway from Mexico to Canada directly through the heartland of the U.S. Then things like this won't happen.
Now THAT is a valid question.
When I think of Mexico, I immediately think 'Oooooh, deer season is coming!'
Lots of people in Texas have grown up hunting not only here, but also going hunting in Mexico, not just deer, but ducks, and other stuff. It wasn't always kidnap central, and for the most part the express kidnappings happen in cities, not on private ranches.
Did you forget the "sarcasm" tag?
Surely you aren't serious!
Yet we allow people to enter illegally into our country from Mexico and you can bet the Dems will do NOTHING to stop them or to protect this country!
My neighbor legally immigrated from Mexico. He lived in Mexico City. Every once in awhile he goes back to visit.
We discussed me going on a trip there and he advised against it, he said it was too dangerous now. Said he even gets worried when he goes back.
He always jokes: "The problem with Mexico is, God put Mexicans there."
Ha ha ha. Never heard that one! That is too funny!
Always time for something new.
Did I really have to add a sarcasm tag? I know it's early, but come on.....
He's a great guy, great neigbor too. He says we need to fix the border and stop the illegals from running across.
He also told me about how bad the violence and crime is near Mexico City, how they target people, especially if they know they are Americans.
He told me they'll not only abduct people, they'll abduct your dog and hold it for ransom. hahahahahaha...
"Desperado...
Well don't let any compassion get in the way of your feelings........
I actually know someone who had their dog abducted in Acapulco..a golden retriever who looks like Duke in the Bush Bean Commercials on television..he paid the ransom-I think it was only $125.00
This administration is a Public Relations DISASTER.
How many of us could have been creative in making the case:
For invasion without WMD?
That WMD WERE found everywhere, including sarin-tipped missiles, mustard gas, etc?
That Saddam attempted to hide military assets in the vast deserts of Iraq, including entire MIG fighter jets, etc?
That WMD were moved to Syria with Russia's fingerprints all over?
That collateral deaths of Iraqi civilians were the direct consequence of harboring terrorists, and if you don't want to die by American bomb, you don't associate with terrorists.
That the United Nations is corrupt from the head down, and has no moral authority to intervene in America's defense.
That Hans Blix and co. are Socialists on a mission, whose credibilty needed to be destroyed.
That the NYTimes needed to be prosecuted for treason.
That the Geneva Convention guided rules of warfare for signatories ONLY, and that since terrorists did not abide by it, America would NOT unilaterally adhere to it.
That detainees in Gitmo would not be given Korans by unclean Americans wearing gloves (WTF??????).
That documents found (think jveritas) implicated Saddam conclusively in much of the above?
Instead, the RINO administration was cowardly, inconsistent and incoherent.
The White House rolled over, installed a buffoon as spokesman, made nice with Pootie-Poot, backslapped Kennedy et. al. and advanced a Socialist domestic agenda, invited Clinton into the family and gave him a platform to rebuilld his legacy in the eyes of the world, chastized Israel for defending itself against terrorism, fought a politically-correct limited war in Iraq instead of employing overwhelming force with extreme prejudice, left the borders wide open to the south, tried to sell softie Harriet Myers as a Supreme, and otherwise FUBAR.
And people wonder why WE lost the election?
This administration did not lead, so no one followed.
This administration did not fight back, so every punk Liberal, Eurofag, Green, Mexican, journalist, celebrity, takes a free shot without fear of retribution.
This administration is endangering every American with their passivity and impotence.
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