Translated by Jesús Ronquillo / Circuito Frontera
In the course of 2 years 9 months, the number of migrant victims of kidnapping in Ciudad Juarez surpassed up to five times the number of crimes registered for the same reason during the previous five years.
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According to data from the State Attorney General’s Office provided to Circuito Frontera through Transparencia, from January 2016 to December 2021, 40 cases of migrant people victims of kidnapping were registered.
While from January 2021 to October 9 of this year 2023, the number of people on the move who were kidnapped at this border increased to 169.
During 2021, 12 kidnappings were recorded; in 2022 the figure increased to 40, while in 2023, up to the first ten days of October, 117 migrants were kidnapped.
The figures provided by state authorities indicate a significant increase in the incidence of kidnappings, generating growing concern in the community and among security authorities.
The response submitted by Transparencia indicated that of the total number of kidnappings, 98 were men and 51 were women, as well as 146 of the cases were extortive kidnappings, 18 were hostage kidnappings and 5 with the intent to cause harm.
The nationalities of the victims were: Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador, Brazil, China, Colombia, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
Regarding this issue, last Tuesday, the State Attorney General, Carlos Manuel Salas, indicated that this is a complicated crime to follow up, including human trafficking, since most of the victims do not file a complaint and if they do, they do not follow up on it.
At a press conference, the official stated that in recent days they arrested members of a criminal network operating in the city where crimes not only involve illegal deprivation of liberty, but also the processing of illicit substances and human trafficking.
He noted that the perpetrators took the victims to a specific location, where they subjected them to torture in order to obtain information. This modus operandi had become a dangerous routine, with some individuals being held for several days.
