Five people are behind bars in Reynosa after Mexican soldiers rescued 55 Central American immigrants being held for ransom at an apartment complex.
The El Universal newspaper reported the rescue in its online edition Wednesday morning.
Officials with the Mexican Attorney General’s Offices told the newspaper that the incident happened in Reynosa’s Colonia Rodriguez.
El Universal reported that soldiers noticed unusual activity at the complex and found immigrants being held for ransom. Some of them had their hands and feet tied.
Soldiers found a total of 46 men and nine women from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Belice, Nicaragua and Tehuantepec, Oaxaca.
El Universal reported that five of the alleged kidnappers are facing criminal charges while the immigrants are being processed for deportation.
The immigrants told investigators they had been held at least 20 days while waiting to cross illegally into the United States.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon has sent thousands of troops to Mexico's northern border to fight drug trafficking and other crime.
Click here for the full story from El Universal
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