12 abducted immigrants rescued in Reynosa
McALLEN — Mexican federal police rescued 12 people who had been severely beaten for two months at a Reynosa safe house Saturday.
The 10 men and two women were brought from the Mexican state of Chiapas to Tamaulipas by their captors two months ago, according to a news release from the Ministry of Public Safety.
Four of the victims are from Honduras, three from Brazil, three from El Salvador, one from Nicaragua and one from Iran, officials said. All of them told authorities they had been severely beaten during their stay at the safe house.
Police found the immigrants at a home in the Esfuerzo Nacional neighborhood after receiving several reports from concerned citizens, authorities said.
Federal officials fed the kidnapping victims and offered them medical assistance before turning them over to the proper authorities for further investigation.
Since the start of the year, Mexican authorities have rescued at least 234 people allegedly held against their will in Reynosa, according to Monitor archives. That figure excludes rescues reported in other parts of Tamaulipas, such as San Fernando, where dozens of others have been found.
Many of the victims told authorities they were snatched off buses by Mexican immigration officers, who later turned them over to criminal organizations.
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Naxiely Lopez covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4434.
