MEXICO CITY — A U.S. anti-kidnapping expert was abducted by gunmen in northern Mexico last week, a sign of just how bold this nation’s kidnapping gangs have become.
U.S. security consultant Felix Batista was in Saltillo in Coahuila state to offer advice on how to confront abductions for ransom when he was seized, local authorities said.
Unknown assailants grabbed him Wednesday, said Charlie LeBlanc, president of the Houston-based security firm ASI Global LLC, where Batista is a consultant.
“We have notified the FBI and Mexican authorities, and they are working on the case,” LeBlanc said Monday. “What we are doing is we’re offering our support to the family and hoping for the best.”
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City said it would not comment on the case, and Le Blanc declined to say whether a ransom demand had been received.
LeBlanc said Batista had his own security business and that “he was in Mexico for business that wasn’t associated with our company.”
“Part of that could be or may involve negotiations with kidnappers,” Leblanc said.
ASI Global’s website advertises “kidnap and ransom response” and says the company has worked for major insurance companies.
Batista was frequently cited as an anti-kidnapping expert at conferences and in the media.
