U.S. Anti-Kidnap Expert Abducted In Mexico

(AP)  A well-known U.S. anti-kidnapping expert has himself fallen victim to Mexico's wave of abductions as unidentified assailants snatched him from a street in the northern city of Saltillo, one of his employers said Monday.

The kidnapping of U.S. security consultant Felix Batista - who was in Saltillo to offer advice on how to confront abductions for ransom - showed how bold Mexico's kidnappers have become. Attacks on U.S. anti-crime consultants have largely been the stuff of movies.

"We have notified the FBI and Mexican authorities, and they are working on the case," said Charlie LeBlanc, the president of the Houston-based security firm ASI Global LLC., where Batista is a consultant. "What we are doing is we're offering our support to the family and hoping for the best."

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City said it would not comment on the case, and LeBlanc would not say whether any ransom demand had been received, saying "I'd rather not talk about it right now."

LeBlanc said Batista "was abducted on the evening of Dec. 10 by unknown assailants" in Saltillo, the capital of Coahuila state. He said Batista had his own security business and that "he was in Mexico for business that wasn't associated with our company."

Batista's work involved "crisis management consulting," LeBlanc said. "Part of that could be or may involve negotiations with kidnappers."

ASI Global's Web site advertises "kidnap and ransom response" and says the company has worked for major insurance companies.

Kidnapping has become a rising problem in Mexico, and Coahuila's governor recently set off a nationwide controversy by proposing to reinstate the death penalty for kidnappers who kill their victims. Mexico outlawed the death penalty in 2005 and abandoned it in practice decades ago.

The kidnap-killings in the past year of the daughter of the country's former sports commissioner and the son of a prominent businessman have caused outrage across Mexico.

Coahuila state law enforcement officials who were not authorized to be quoted by name said Batista had been giving talks to local police officials and businessmen on how to prevent or avoid kidnappings.

They said he apparently was snatched from a street outside a restaurant.

A profile of Batista posted - and later removed - from the ASI Global Web site described him as "the primary case officer for all cases throughout the Latin American region."

The site said Batista was a former U.S. Army major who is "known for conducting in-depth threat assessments, the successful resolution of nearly 100 kidnap and ransom cases (many on behalf of major insurance carriers) and investigations."

The company denied local media reports that Batista was a former FBI agent, and warned those reports could put his life at risk.

"We at ASI are very concerned for Felix's safety and would like to take this opportunity of stating categorically that Felix has never been an agent in the FBI," the company said in a statement. "Irresponsible and erroneous reporting in the press could pose a very real threat to Felix's life and the safe resolution of this terrible situation and must be corrected."

The seizure seems to echo the plot of a 2004 movie, "Man on Fire," in which Denzel Washington played a U.S. security consultant who takes on Mexican kidnappers and is abducted himself.

[biblethumpar]

Maybe he was Kidnapped by the Kidnappers so he could teach them how to counter his counter kidnapping techniques.

[jasonland1]

Ironic

[flsunjnky]

This is tragic, but at least I know who NOT to hire to provide advise on how NOT to get kidnapped!

[pierson98]

''The problem the guy faces is having trusted the Mexico''s police and political authorities. The corruption lies within these people, which is why the Mexican people totally despise them, especially their own police force.
Posted by rudy6543 at 06:15 AM''
_____________________________
Agreed. Even in rough, high-crime areas in the US, you can at least usually count on the basic separation between ''criminals'' and ''the law'' (police, court systems, political leadership). Cops and mayors might be lazy and incompetent, but at the very least you aren''t actively in danger from them.

In Mexico, there really is no clear line between the crooks and the law. The police are just as likely to rob or kidnap you as anyone else. And the common person is afraid to go to the poluice with problems, so everyone just tries to keep their head down.

[docpeter1953]

''U.S. Anti-Kidnap Expert Abducted In Mexico''
_________________

Gotta appreciate the irony in this.

[fredflinsto2]

This just shows how incompetnet our government has become. Why did we hire someone so stupid as to fall victim for the same exact area of expertise he says he is a specialist in.

[omega40]

You can blame most of this ***** on our first faux "war", the war on drugs.

[ajaxtheleast]

Then there are times when just loging on
makes your whole day.

[longtree-2009]

sure he knew the risks. can''t understand why americans even visit mexico anymore. all americans should stop visiting, vacationing in mexico. americans complain but they keep spending in mexico, keep buying their illegal drugs even here on american soil.

[whatchange-2009]

Posted by sockpuppet4 at 06:54 AM : Dec 16, 2008 *************** Your vision is grooved. There was no mention of political leaning in my post. I was and still am a licensed and bonded security agent with the US Government. Caution is warranted as you IP address has been recorded with your post. There could very possibly be a knock at your door some night. We just might have some questions for you to answer as to your knowledge of any illegal immigrant activity. Discretion is warranted.