Mexican transit officials kidnapped
By the CNN Wire Staff
May 31, 2010 2:34 p.m. EDT

(CNN) -- Two city officials in Monterrey, Mexico, were kidnapped on Sunday and Monday, respectively, the state-run Notimex news agency reported.

The city's secretary of roadways and transit, Enrique Barrios Rodriguez, and the director of transit, Reynaldo Ramos Alvarado, were taken from their homes by gunmen, Nuevo Leon state officials said, according to Notimex.

According to initial reports, Barrios was kidnapped at his house where he was with his family in the early morning Monday, by a group of men who broke through the front door. His garage door was also knocked down.

Barrios had only been in his post since May 14, Notimex said.

The day before, Ramos was kidnapped in a similar fashion, authorities said.

At about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, the transit director was taken from his home, Notimex reported.

Police offered no motive and did not name any criminal organization as the perpetrators. The state of Nuevo Leon is known to have a lot of drug cartel activity.

Before being named roadways and transit secretary this month, Barrios was an adminstrative director for the city, and had previously served as a state congressman from 2003 to 2006 and a federal congressman from 2006 to 2009.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/ ... tml?hpt=T3

Years ago Monterrey,a primary center of Mexico's manufacturing and commercial sectors was known as the "Boston of Mexico" because it was considered so quiet, family oriented, and "boring" compared to other areas of the country. It is sad that it, too, has been invaded by these vicious, greed-driven criminals, and its orderly life turned on end.