A migrant illegally present in the United States is in a Texas jail charged with kidnapping a Guatemalan migrant woman and holding her for ransom. He reportedly forced the woman to perform labor to work off her smuggling debt.
San Antonio police officers arrested Elvin Roberto Mendez Flores, 38, after receiving a message that he was holding a Guatemalan migrant woman hostage in his home on the city’s northwest side, KSAT reported. Police received a phone call from the woman’s husband after she messaged him on the alleged kidnapper’s tablet.
The article states that Mendez Flores met the woman at the Texas-Mexico border and was supposed to smuggle her to her husband, who lives elsewhere in the U.S. After being transported to San Antonio, she said she was taken to Houston and then back to San Antonio after her family was unable to pay the $6,000 to $7,000 human smuggling fee.
The Guatemalan woman told police that Mendez Flores forced her to cook for others living in the house. He also allegedly forced her to do other work for people. This included braiding hair and making tamales. She said she never received any of the compensation for this work.
KENS CBS5 reported that police found the woman hiding under a blanket after she used the alleged smuggler’s computer tablet to contact her husband. She told police that Mendez Flores threatened to kill her and her family located in Guatemala if she tried to escape or seek help.
She claimed her family had already paid a $6,000 smuggling fee but the captor demanded an additional $6,000 from her husband.
KENS reported that Mendez Florez admitted to some of the woman’s claims but added that he attempted to collect the human smuggling ransom for someone else.
Mendez Flores is charged with Aggravated Kidnapping Ransom/Reward and is being held on a bond of $75,000. He is also charged with illegal entry into the United States. His nationality was not disclosed.
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He also serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.
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