Report: Relative of U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes kidnapped, released in Juárez

By Ramon Bracamontes / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 06/24/2008 03:31:08 PM MDT

A woman who was kidnapped, and later released, during the weekend in Juárez while on a shopping spree was related to U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, according to The Narco News Bulletin Web site, which is attributing the report and relationship to a DEA official in El Paso.

But, though the Web site report states the kidnapped person was Reyes' sister-in-law, another federal agency and other officials are saying that some of the facts in the online report might be wrong, including the connection to Reyes.

Reyes' office had no comment.

Leticia Zamarripa, spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which the bulletin said responded to the kidnapping, said Tuesday morning she could not immediately comment on the incident, but would get back to the El Paso Times.

The Narco News Bulletin, which reports online about drug trafficking and Latin America, attributes its story to Matthew Taylor, DEA spokesman for the El Paso division. Taylor could not be reached for comment Tuesday morning.

According to the Narco News Bulletin, "the abducted woman was the sister of the wife of Reyes, D-Texas, chair of the House Intelligence Committee. The woman was eventually released by her abductors, after they discovered her relationship to the Congressman - indicating that it was a random kidnapping and the perpetrators had enough on the ball to understand the downside of snatching a U.S. Congressman's family member."

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