Rescued: 10 Colombian migrants kidnapped in Mexico found alive

Mexican authorities reported that the 10 Colombian migrants who were kidnapped in Sonora while on their way to Arizona to request asylum were found safe and sound.

The State Prosecutor's Office said that they were located after a search operation in different parts of the region. William Murillo, director of the organization 1800migrante.com, who had denounced the kidnapping, reported that the captors contacted the relatives of the kidnapped and demanded $2,000 to free each one, that is, $20,000 for all of them.

The hostages were taken off the bus after a military checkpoint before entering San Luis Río Colorado. The authorities have not yet reported if the ransom was paid or if there are people in custody.

The kidnapping of the Colombians occurred on the Sonoyta-San Luis Río Colorado highway, in Sonora, on May 2, when they were traveling to the United States to request asylum.

After their disappearance, security and ministerial agencies from Sonora began a search operation in the region, on the border with the United States, after the Colombian Consulate and the organization 1800migrante.com denounced the kidnapping at the request of one of the relatives of the 10 Colombians.

"This Friday, the 10 migrants of Colombian nationality who had been reported missing, in San Luis Río Colorado, by their relatives, through the Colombian Consulate in Mexico, were located alive," said the Government of Sonora through a message on social networks.

While the State Prosecutor's Office indicated that the Colombian migrants were located "after an intense operation in different parts of the region", in which police forces, agents of the Sonora State Prosecutor's Office and the Specialized Prosecutor for Crime participated Organized and National Anti-Kidnapping Commission participated.

"The 7 men and 3 women are in good health and receive care at the Integral Justice Center, where they receive monitoring and information about their situation," said the Prosecutor's Office.

The abductees were traveling in a commercial bus on the Sonoyta-San Luis Río Colorado highway, parallel to the international border, when they were kidnapped after crossing a military checkpoint of the Mexican Army, according to reports.

Although the authorities did not report the arrest of any person, it is unknown if the relatives of the kidnaped victims paid a ransom for their release.

"They got off after a military checkpoint before entering San Luis Río Colorado. My father and the rest of my family, 10 in total, told us that the bus was full of foreigners," denounced Christian Cortés, son of one of the kidnapped.

He added that the person who was guiding them to the border told him that "the mafia had taken them off the bus."

The relative of the victims said that he reported the incident on different telephone numbers of the Colombian Consulate in New York, and when he did not receive answers, he tried to contact the Mexican authorities directly.

According to the relative of the victims, he tried to seek help through the National Guard, the Mexican 911, the Beta group for the protection of migrants and the Sonoyta Police, but all the authorities asked him to contact the early attention center, without offer more help.

Last week, Mexican authorities found 63 migrants in the same region, 43 of them from Ecuador.

News reports from EFE contributed to this story.