Colombian migrants kidnapped in Mexico will continue on their way to the United States

This Wednesday, the Government of Mexico reported the rescue of 32 migrants who had been kidnapped on December 30 near the border with the United States. Among the victims were four Colombian citizens who were born in Venezuela and lived in Cúcuta, according to Andrés Hernández, Colombian consul in Mexico, explained by telephone. It is an eight-year-old girl, her father is 41 and her mother is 28, as well as another 42-year-old man, unrelated to the family. “It's a coincidence that they all came from the same place and went at the same time,” says Hernández. They underwent a medical checkup and are fine, the consul assures. They have refused to return to Colombia with the help of the Colombian Government and plan to continue their journey in the hope of reaching the United States.

The four entered Mexico through the Cancun airport, at the tip of the southeastern coast, says Hernández. From there, they began their journey north. They crossed the country until they reached the State of Tamaulipas, which borders the United States to the north and the Gulf of Mexico to the east, and which has witnessed some of the greatest atrocities committed against migrants in that country. In August 2010, the Zetas cartel kidnapped and then executed 72 migrants in the municipality of San Fernando, 150 kilometers from the border with the North American state of Texas. The tragedy today is known as The Massacre of the 72.

About two hours north of San Francisco is the highway that connects the cities of Reynosa and Matamoros. The four Colombian migrants were traveling there by bus, with 32 other people from Venezuela, Ecuador, Honduras and Mexico. Around 7:30 p.m., less than an hour away from the international border, five vans with armed men intercepted the vehicle and kidnapped 32 people. They only released the four Mexicans.

According to Hernández, the kidnappers were the coyotes themselves whom the migrants had paid to help them cross the border. “Because of the way the crime occurred, we have ruled out that it was a Mexican cartel or an armed organization,” he says. This is an “express kidnapping for extortion purposes”, a crime that is being committed with increasing frequency in Mexico. In 2023, 120 Colombian migrants were victims of this crime in that country, according to information from the Consulate. In 2022, the number was 69. Normally, the perpetrators demand between 2,000 and 3,000 dollars from the migrants, explains Hernández, under the threat of killing them.

The kidnapping quickly captured media attention across America. According to the consul, that, plus the quick and forceful response of the Mexican Government, was what saved the 32 migrants. The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, deployed the National Guard and several security agencies to carry out the search. Large numbers of officers, helicopters, police vehicles and sniffer dogs filled the area. “It was a huge operation,” says Hernández.

Finally, the kidnappers released their victims this Wednesday in the municipality of Río Bravo, between Reynosa and Matamoros. They were deprived of their freedom for four days. “Due to the pressure that was generated, they were cornered and released,” says the consul. So far there are no arrests, but the investigation continues. The four Colombians received support from the Consulate to return to Cúcuta, but they refused. They have had interviews with the Mexican Prosecutor's Office and the Government of that country gave them “some cards to regularize themselves,” says Hernández. With them, he explains, they can work and access health services in Mexico. However, they do not plan to stay long, since their objective remains the same as when they left Colombia: to reach the United States.

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