Morelos gang kidnaps three officials to free detained member

A criminal gang in Mexico’s central state of Morelos kidnapped three employees of the state attorney-general’s office on Monday and held them hostage until authorities freed a detained member of the group, the office said. The three hostages were released on Monday evening, one with a gunshot wound.

Who was detained in Morelos?

The Morelos attorney-general’s office said it had arrested a member of the Pueblos Unidos criminal gang in a raid carried out as part of its fight against extortion. Pueblos Unidos retaliated by seizing three people employed by the office. In a statement, the attorney-general’s office said it released the detained suspect in order to safeguard the lives of its staff, and stressed that the kidnapping of its employees would not go unpunished.

What happened to the three kidnapped employees?

The gang released all three employees on Monday evening local time, the office’s statement said. One of them was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound and was in a stable condition. The decision to free the detained gang member followed official guidelines, which state that the lives of kidnap victims must be put first, according to the statement.

Do Mexican gangs use violence to force releases?

Criminal gangs in Mexico often unleash a wave of violence to force the release of an arrested leader. In 2019, hundreds of gunmen from the Sinaloa cartel flooded into the northern city of Culiacán after the arrest of Ovidio Guzmán, a son of the cartel’s founder, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. They erected burning roadblocks and engaged in deadly gunfights with security forces. Then-president Andrés Manuel López Obrador personally ordered Ovidio Guzmán’s release, saying he had given the order “so as not to put the population at risk”. “The capture of a criminal is not worth more than people’s lives,” López Obrador added. Guzmán was recaptured in 2023 and extradited to the United States. Other high-profile criminal cases in Mexico have also reached court, including the trial over the killing of Australian surfers and a US friend.

What other recent violence has Mexico seen?

The killing of one of Mexico’s most wanted criminals, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, in February triggered retaliatory attacks from his cartel in 20 Mexican states. President Claudia Sheinbaum deployed thousands of soldiers to the states affected to quell the violence. Nigerian authorities said the arrest of a Mexican national led to a suspected meth lab.

Frequently asked questions

How many people were kidnapped in Morelos?

Three people employed by the Morelos attorney-general’s office were seized by the Pueblos Unidos gang and released on Monday evening, one of them with a gunshot wound.

Why did authorities release the detained gang member?

The Morelos attorney-general’s office said it freed the suspect in order to safeguard the lives of its kidnapped staff, following official guidelines that put the lives of kidnap victims first.

What happened in Culiacán in 2019?

After the arrest of Ovidio Guzmán, hundreds of Sinaloa cartel gunmen entered the city, set up burning roadblocks and fought gun battles with security forces, prompting then-president Andrés Manuel López Obrador to order Guzmán’s release.

Who was Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera?

Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera was one of Mexico’s most wanted criminals. His killing in February triggered retaliatory attacks by his cartel in 20 Mexican states, and President Claudia Sheinbaum deployed thousands of soldiers in response.

With reporting from BBC News.

Stock image, not from the events described. City Skyline — Joe deSousa / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)