Washington Hunter
Well-known member
Nov. 28, 2006, 11:55PM
By JAMES PINKERTON
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
Hunting trip kidnapping
Site of kidnapping HARLINGEN — Three U.S. citizens — including a prominent Laredo customs broker and a Sweetwater businessman — were kidnapped Sunday along with two others after going deer hunting in northern Mexico, U.S. authorities said Tuesday.
A gang of armed men swept into the 6,500-acre Rancho La Barranca in the northern state of Coahuila Sunday evening and abducted the five, including customs broker Librado Piña Jr., 49; his son, Librado Piña III, 25; Sweetwater businessman David Mueller, 45; and two Mexicans — ranch cook Marco Ortiz and Monterrey resident Fidel Rodriguez Cerdan.
Though details were sketchy Tuesday night, U.S. officials and relatives of the kidnapped men were stunned by the attack.
''We're pulling out all the stops," said one U.S. law enforcement agent, who asked not to be identified.
''We're going to go through the proper channels, but obviously we have back channels ... from years of experience trying to resolve these things."
A Mexican investigator who spoke on condition of anonymity said the ranch was ransacked and such items as washing machines and beds were stolen, giving the case an unusual twist.
"In a kidnapping, they aren't going to go about stealing objects," said the official.
"It's an unusual situation."
The abductions of Piña Jr., his son and Mueller bring this year's tally of Americans kidnapped in Mexico to 33.
Of those, 14 Americans were kidnapped in the Nuevo Laredo area.
No previous threats
Piña family members said they suspected the kidnapping was financially motivated.
"We absolutely cannot pinpoint the reason for this," a family member said.
"We believe they saw a wealthy person with a big ranch house in Mexico and they went to see what they could steal."
Family members said Piña Jr. had not been threatened.
"If he had, he would have never gone to the ranch and put his life or the life of other people in danger," said another family member.
Family members said they learned about the crime after two Mexican clients traveled to the ranch for a hunt, but found the house in shambles.
The Piñas say they immediately contacted Mexican officials in Nuevo Laredo and Coahuila and met with the FBI that afternoon.
Piña Jr. owns the ranch, which offers trophy whitetail-deer hunts and is located about a 30-minute drive northwest of the Colombia Bridge in Laredo.
Santos Vasquez Estrada, the local head of the Coahuila state attorney general's office, said Piña Jr. may have been the main target of the attack.
The U.S. law enforcement source who spoke on condition of anonymity said it does not appear that the abducted men had any connection to ongoing turf wars that have killed hundreds of people in Mexico this year.
''We don't, at this time, have any hard evidence that any of these people were involved in any illicit activity," the source said.
Group was well-armed
The five men were hunting at the ranch about 8 p.m. Sunday when the assailants arrived.
''A large group did take over the ranch, and they were well-armed," the source said.
U.S. officials said Tuesday that no ransom requests had been made so far.
''Since the kidnapping occurred within the sovereign nation of Mexico, the FBI has initiated a Foreign Police Cooperation investigation," said a statement from D. True Brown, acting special agent in charge of the FBI's San Antonio division.
La Barranca ranch is one of two owned by Piña Jr., a second-generation Laredo customs broker, industrialist and owner of the Corona beer distributorship.
His abduction shocked members of the close-knit Texas Deer Association.
''Librado has been a director on our board for several years, and is a good active member," said president Scott W. Bugai, a veterinarian from Seguin.
''I've been down to his ranch in Laredo, and he's a super-nice guy," Bugai said. ''This is a shock. What's the world coming to?"
Lane Laning, the deer association's treasurer, said Piña Jr. has worked hard to introduce game management to ranches in northern Mexico.
''Boy, I'm praying for him ... and for Mr. Mueller, too," said Laning, who manages the 5F Game Ranch outside of Sweetwater. ''It's sad Mexico is turning out like this."
Employees of Mueller's company, Sweetwater Steel, were distraught.
''It's been a long day, a pretty rough day," said J.L. Goldsmith, a salesman at the company that sells steel for construction.
San Antonio Express-News correspondent Sean Mattson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
By JAMES PINKERTON
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
Hunting trip kidnapping
Site of kidnapping HARLINGEN — Three U.S. citizens — including a prominent Laredo customs broker and a Sweetwater businessman — were kidnapped Sunday along with two others after going deer hunting in northern Mexico, U.S. authorities said Tuesday.
A gang of armed men swept into the 6,500-acre Rancho La Barranca in the northern state of Coahuila Sunday evening and abducted the five, including customs broker Librado Piña Jr., 49; his son, Librado Piña III, 25; Sweetwater businessman David Mueller, 45; and two Mexicans — ranch cook Marco Ortiz and Monterrey resident Fidel Rodriguez Cerdan.
Though details were sketchy Tuesday night, U.S. officials and relatives of the kidnapped men were stunned by the attack.
''We're pulling out all the stops," said one U.S. law enforcement agent, who asked not to be identified.
''We're going to go through the proper channels, but obviously we have back channels ... from years of experience trying to resolve these things."
A Mexican investigator who spoke on condition of anonymity said the ranch was ransacked and such items as washing machines and beds were stolen, giving the case an unusual twist.
"In a kidnapping, they aren't going to go about stealing objects," said the official.
"It's an unusual situation."
The abductions of Piña Jr., his son and Mueller bring this year's tally of Americans kidnapped in Mexico to 33.
Of those, 14 Americans were kidnapped in the Nuevo Laredo area.
No previous threats
Piña family members said they suspected the kidnapping was financially motivated.
"We absolutely cannot pinpoint the reason for this," a family member said.
"We believe they saw a wealthy person with a big ranch house in Mexico and they went to see what they could steal."
Family members said Piña Jr. had not been threatened.
"If he had, he would have never gone to the ranch and put his life or the life of other people in danger," said another family member.
Family members said they learned about the crime after two Mexican clients traveled to the ranch for a hunt, but found the house in shambles.
The Piñas say they immediately contacted Mexican officials in Nuevo Laredo and Coahuila and met with the FBI that afternoon.
Piña Jr. owns the ranch, which offers trophy whitetail-deer hunts and is located about a 30-minute drive northwest of the Colombia Bridge in Laredo.
Santos Vasquez Estrada, the local head of the Coahuila state attorney general's office, said Piña Jr. may have been the main target of the attack.
The U.S. law enforcement source who spoke on condition of anonymity said it does not appear that the abducted men had any connection to ongoing turf wars that have killed hundreds of people in Mexico this year.
''We don't, at this time, have any hard evidence that any of these people were involved in any illicit activity," the source said.
Group was well-armed
The five men were hunting at the ranch about 8 p.m. Sunday when the assailants arrived.
''A large group did take over the ranch, and they were well-armed," the source said.
U.S. officials said Tuesday that no ransom requests had been made so far.
''Since the kidnapping occurred within the sovereign nation of Mexico, the FBI has initiated a Foreign Police Cooperation investigation," said a statement from D. True Brown, acting special agent in charge of the FBI's San Antonio division.
La Barranca ranch is one of two owned by Piña Jr., a second-generation Laredo customs broker, industrialist and owner of the Corona beer distributorship.
His abduction shocked members of the close-knit Texas Deer Association.
''Librado has been a director on our board for several years, and is a good active member," said president Scott W. Bugai, a veterinarian from Seguin.
''I've been down to his ranch in Laredo, and he's a super-nice guy," Bugai said. ''This is a shock. What's the world coming to?"
Lane Laning, the deer association's treasurer, said Piña Jr. has worked hard to introduce game management to ranches in northern Mexico.
''Boy, I'm praying for him ... and for Mr. Mueller, too," said Laning, who manages the 5F Game Ranch outside of Sweetwater. ''It's sad Mexico is turning out like this."
Employees of Mueller's company, Sweetwater Steel, were distraught.
''It's been a long day, a pretty rough day," said J.L. Goldsmith, a salesman at the company that sells steel for construction.
San Antonio Express-News correspondent Sean Mattson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
