Reynosa soldiers free more than 100 kidnapped immigrants

REYNOSA — Soldiers on Thursday freed more than 100 persons who were being held against their will by a group of alleged kidnappers, authorities said.

Military personell discovered the sequestered group's location through an anonymous tip, the Mexican Defense Ministry said in a news release issued Saturday. Soldiers checked out the area at Callejón Golondrinas about 11:30 p.m. and discovered a house with about 123 persons crammed inside.

Soldiers interviewed several victims who told officials they had been abducted. The people found inside the house, all Central American, were described as follows:

>> 94 Honduras nationals (24 females)

>> 15 Guatemala nationals (2 females)

>> 14 El Salvador nationals (2 females)

Authorities also arrested the following 7 suspected kidnappers:

>> Juan de Dios Vázquez Villegas, 42, of El Salvador

>> Justo Cáliz Flores, 30, of Honduras

>> Iván Villegas Flores, 41, of Honduras

>> Andrés Arreola Medina, 17, of Honduras

>> José Francisco Gómez Hernández, 31, of Honduras

>> Luís Enrique Murillo Rodas, 17, of Honduras

>> Héctor Daniel Valladares Fuentes, 17, of Honduras

In addition, soldiers confiscated a shotgun and a baseball bat found inside the house.

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Ana Ley covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4428.