Home El Paso Press Releases 2009 Response to El Paso Times Editorial on Kidnapping Victims
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Response to El Paso Times Editorial on Kidnapping Victims

FBI El Paso February 15, 2009
  • Special Agent Michael Martinez (915) 832-5373

In a February 4th editorial titled, “Government shroud—Are El Pasoans being kidnapped?” the El Paso Times accused the government of “pulling the wool over our eyes” regarding the number of El Paso citizens who have been the victims of kidnappings. As Special Agent in Charge of the agency principally charged with enforcement of federal kidnapping and extortion statutes, I am compelled to answer this accusation and set the record straight with accurate information, as opposed to conjecture and speculation.

The FBI receives reports of kidnappings from a variety of sources. These reports are made mainly by members of the public, either directly to our organization or to another law enforcement agency, which then informs us of the report and enlists our assistance. As you can imagine, a number of these reports are resolved very quickly through the location of a “victim” who actually never was kidnapped or through the complainant’s own admission that the original report was a fabrication. Nonetheless, each and every report is taken seriously and aggressively addressed by the FBI and our law enforcement partners.

Amidst the backdrop of unprecedented violence occurring daily in Juarez is the issue of “drug-related” kidnappings, which have been the source of much public interest. Since January 2008, the FBI opened one investigation based upon a report from the public, and we generated a second investigation based upon liaison from another law enforcement agency. The first investigation is unresolved, and the second investigation has resulted in a guilty plea of the subject in federal court. In both cases, the victims of the kidnappings were recovered and are no longer in harm’s way. No other reports of such kidnappings have been received by our office.

It would be naïve to think that the government is aware of every single kidnapping that has occurred in El Paso in the last year. Crimes of all types go unreported to law enforcement for a variety of reasons, even though we encourage the public to report all crimes. But to infer that the government is involved in a campaign to deny the public this type of information borders upon irresponsibility by those who would suggest it—especially when it appears that the inference is not based upon a solid analysis of the facts which I have laid out above.

In several conversations with members of our community and the media, I have been told by individuals that they have “heard of” other kidnappings occurring in El Paso, but no one has been able to provide information such as the victim’s or family member’s names, so that we can initiate an investigation. 

I would like to encourage any member of the public with specific information regarding an alleged kidnapping to contact the FBI or the state or local law enforcement agency where they reside. The FBI is dedicated to the safety and security of all El Pasoans because all of our 200+ employees and their families are members of this community. We do take reports of U.S. citizens being kidnapped and taken to Juarez seriously and will work tirelessly to address these reports.

David Cuthbertson is the Special Agent in Charge of the El Paso Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This editorial was published in the El Paso Times Opinion Page on February 15, 2009.