Two men accused of abducting five illegal immigrants

By BILL MURPHY Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Two men were arrested Friday after they bound and adbducted five illegal immigrants from Honduras outside Cleveland, the Liberty County Sheriff's Department said.

The Liberty County District Attorney's office will likely bring abduction — or kidnapping-related charges — against the two men, also illegal immigrants from Honduras, said sheriff's department spokesman Hugh Bishop.

Sheriff's department detectives and the district attorney's office haven't had time to investigate the matter completely because of Hurricane Ike.

A sheriff's department detective was patrolling Friday afternoon when he approached a home in the Five Oaks subdivsion outside Cleveland because he had seen suspicious activity, Bishop said.

"When he got up close, he saw the five Honduran men bound and taped," Bishop said. "Apparently, the two men were trying to extort money from the five others or their families."

The five victims were being held in the county jail until U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement picks up the men.

bill.murphy@chron.com