Thread: High-level U.S. executive kidnapped in Tijuana

http://www.mercurynews.com

Posted on Fri, Apr. 07, 2006

High-level U.S. executive kidnapped in Tijuana

Associated Press

SAN DIEGO - A gunman abducted a high-ranking American executive in Tijuana as he drove to his business, shocking a maquiladora industry that seemed immune from a wave of kidnappings in Mexico.

The U.S. Consulate in Tijuana identified the victim as Yong Hak Kim, a U.S.-born citizen of Korean descent. Kim is a top administrator of Amex Manufacturing in eastern Tijuana.

He was seized about 7 a.m. Thursday, said Baja California Attorney General Antonio Martinez Luna.

A witness told Tijuana police that Kim was traveling in a 2004 black Hyundai Santa Fe with California license plates when he was intercepted by a white Toyota with tinted windows, according to a police report. A man with a large firearm forced Kim, who is in his 50s, into the Toyota, the report said.

No ransom demand had been made as of Thursday afternoon, Luna said.

Amex Manufacturing is a small operation that offers services, such as forklift rentals, to larger manufacturing operations, said Teodoro Moreno Perez, who manages Hyundai's giant cargo container and chassis manufacturing operation and uses Amex's services.

Ricardo Meniola, Amex purchasing manager, said the firm had no comment on the incident.

Officials would not say where in the United States Kim lives.

Kidnapping is a highly organized form of crime in Mexico, and the targets usually are wealthy or middle-class Mexican businessmen or their relatives.

Foreign executives, however, haven't been targeted for years, business officials said. The last kidnapping of a foreign executive they could recall was in 1996, when a gang seized Sanyo Video Components Vice President Mamoru Konno at a company picnic.

He was released unharmed nine days later after Sanyo paid a $2 million ransom.


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Information from: The San Diego Union-Tribune, http://www.uniontrib.com

Just more of the "hard-working" honest kidnappers trying to improve their lives.

http://www.10news.com

Businessman Escapes Tijuana Kidnappers With Bold Move
Yong Hak Kim Kidnapped On Way To Work

POSTED: 4:47 pm PDT April 7, 2006
UPDATED: 5:09 pm PDT April 7, 2006

SAN DIEGO -- A high-ranking American executive is safe after being kidnapped in Tijuana, 10News reported.

It was the rarest of ends for this type of case.

Kidnapping is a lucrative business in Mexico.

The threat of kidnapping remains a concern for thousands of Americans working in foreign countries.

For Yong Hak Kim that threat turned into reality.

A bruised, injured but thankful Kim escaped his captors.

On Thursday morning, he was kidnapped at gunpoint while driving to work at Amex Manufacturing in Tijuana.

Friday morning he allegedly somehow got ahold of a gun then locked several kidnappers in a room and ran away.

"I'm OK," said Kim.

Kim's case marks the first foreign executive to be kidnapped in Tijuana since a Sanyo executive was kidnapped a decade ago -- a $2 million ransom payment secured his release.

And recently a San Diegan, who asked to not be identified, said he was a victim of an attempted kidnapping after two cars with police lights stopped on a Tijuana street.

"The supposed officers tried to grab me, and (I) ran away," said the victim.

Hostage expert Tom Clayton has helped resolve more than 650 kidnap-for-ransom cases.

While kidnapping is a big business in Mexico, he said kidnappers generally stay away from foreign executives and focus on Mexican businessman because their relatives pay up and keep quiet.

"No one wants to inform police. Kidnappers always threat to get other families if they tell police, so police (are) kept in the dark as much as possible," said Clayton.

10News was told Kim suffered the bruises and hand injuries during his escape.

When police went back to the house, it was empty.

All four kidnappers remain at large.