US Marine Kidnapped Near Mexican Border, Drug Cartel Possibly Involved

A US Marine and his relatives were kidnapped from his father’s ranch in La Barranca, Tamaulipas on May 14.

US Marine Armando Torres III was visiting the ranch with family members when he was kidnapped along with his father and uncle.

Armando Torres II and uncle Salvador Torres, both Mexican citizens, were nabbed alongside the marine.

Following the abduction the FBI has released the following statement:

“Shortly after he (Torres) arrived at the ranch, armed gunmen entered the ranch and took all three Torres family members by force. They have not been seen or heard from since this event.”

Officials in Mexico are working with the FBI to resolve the US Marine kidnapping. The FBI says it is currently conducting an “international kidnapping investigation and is vigorously pursuing all investigative leads.”

Armando Torress III is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Speaking to The Monitor the Marine’s sister Cristina Torres revealed that the family thought the kidnapping occurred because of a land dispute with drug traffickers. The family says drug cartels wanted to control the ranch because of its close proximity to the US border.

Cristina also revealed that her cousin witnessed the kidnapping. Torres says of the abduction:

“She saw a white truck with people in it and they just went in the house and got my brother and my dad and my uncle and just put them in the truck and took off,” Cristina Torres said. “They took a lot of their belongings in the house and they took the cars, as well.”

The kidnapped US Marine has two children, aged 4 and 3.

Anyone with information or willing to help can visit the Facebook group Get Our Brother Back in support of Torres.

Here is a recent photo of the kidnapped Marine:

If the Marine kidnap was the result of drug traffickers, they may have chosen the wrong target given the international press the ranch is now receiving.