Fugitives Wanted for Migrant Kidnapping Arrested in Mexico
Two fugitives from Houston, wanted for their roles in a violent kidnapping of migrants, were arrested by FBI agents in Mexico.
Lorie Lin Flowers and Santiago Hernandez Jr. were arrested in Michoacán, Mexico.
Flowers and Hernandez were wanted on federal charges in connection with the kidnapping of three people in Brookside, Texas in March 2023.
According to prosecutors, Flowers and Hernandez were part of a group of 11 people, who attacked a truck that was smuggling six illegal immigrants to Houston, along Interstate-10 in Waller County.
In the attack, the victims were forced out of the truck. Three were shot and wounded, and the other three were kidnapped and held for ransom at local hotels, where videos of the victims being beaten were shown to their families in a bid to extract ransom money.
Two of the hostages were released after ransom money was paid. The third was rescued by the FBI. In the rescue, one of the 11 suspects died.
Eight of the suspects were later arrested in August 2023, except for Flowers and Hernandez who escaped to Mexico.
Cooperation between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement is credited with tracking them down.
Houston FBI agents worked with the FBI Legal Mexico City, the FBI’s Guadalajara office, and the Attorney General's Office of the State of Michoacán in Mexico to locate and arrest both fugitives.
And the case may hold lessons about the importance of international cooperation when it comes to dealing with human smuggling and kidnapping cases.
“This international cooperation underscores the commitment of law enforcement agencies to combat human trafficking and smuggling, regardless of geographical boundaries,” said a recent BNN article.
“As law enforcement continues to adapt and evolve in response to the tactics employed by smuggling networks, the hope is that such efforts will lead to a reduction in incidents of kidnapping and smuggling, ultimately safeguarding the lives and rights of migrants and hostages alike.”