Kidnapped, released relative of U.S. Rep. Reyes was Mexican citizen, memo states

By Diana Washington Valdez / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 06/25/2008 01:45:10 PM MDT


An aide of U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, contacted the Immigration and Customs Enforcement assistant attache in Mexico to report that a Mexican citizen who is related to Reyes had been kidnapped, according to an internal ICE memo.
The document dated June 23 addressed to ICE Assistant Secretary Julie Myers in Washington, D.C., identifies Reyes' relative as the owner of an auto glass store in Juárez.

The memo states that "a group of armed men kidnapped (the relative) from the ACCRIPARTS, an auto glass store she owns in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico.

"Additionally, agents learned that the kidnappers had called (the relative's) brother and demanded a ransom of $500,000 in exchange for her safe return. The kidnappers stated that (she) would be killed if he contacted law enforcement authorities."

Leticia Zamarripa, ICE spokeswoman in El Paso, said the federal law enforcement agency was continuing its investigation and had no comment regarding the memo or anything else related to the case.

Narcosphere, an online outlet that specializes in reporting on drug-trafficking, first reported on the kidnapping earlier this week. To read Narcosphere's latest story, titled, Juarez kidnapping case opens Pandora's box for Congressman Silvestre Reyes, click here.