EL PASO, Texas — U.S. authorities are helping Mexican officials investigate the apparent kidnapping and weekend release of a relative of a congressman.
A female relative of Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, was kidnapped June 19 in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, a crime-ridden city across the Rio Grande from El Paso, a federal law enforcement official said Wednesday.
The woman, a Mexican citizen, was released after an approximately $30,000 ransom was paid by a relative in Mexico to the kidnapper, the official said, and Reyes’ relative was released with another victim.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the case is active, had no details about the second victim.
It is unclear whether the kidnapper knew that the woman was related to Reyes when she was taken. The official said the family of the victim called Reyes’ office, which notified authorities. Reyes, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, was not informed of the kidnapping until several hours later, according to the official.
