The daughter of an American woman kidnapped in Mexico receives a ransom note
(NewsNation) – It has been 39 days since Maria Del Carmen Lopez was abducted from her home in Pueblo Nuevo, Mexico. Her family has not yet received any updates from the FBI on the status of the investigation.
“It’s been a roller coaster the last 39 days. It really feels like we are living in a nightmare,” said Maria’s daughter Zonia.
Ohio State student who died after spring break in Mexico
Zonia was warned by family members in Mexico about her mother’s abduction. The kidnappers then got in touch with Zonia, asking for a bounty of hers for her mother.
“It was shocking. It was real, it’s like your body and your mind. Everything goes into a state you’ve obviously never been in. It’s disbelief, but at the same time, as strange as that sounds, a kind of comfort because at least you’re having some kind of communication,” Zonia said.
The FBI offers a $20,000 reward for any information leading to Maria’s whereabouts as the family grows desperate for information. The Lopez family also harbor hopes that the Mexican authorities can do more to help them.
“We hope that in the coming days the government of Mexico will give full support to the local authorities and their troops to conduct the search. It’s a small state, it’s a small city, that they allow everything in their power so that they can find my mother and that it doesn’t become another kidnapping, where it remains unsolved,” Zonia said.
Cartels smuggling spreads far beyond the border states
This comes as three Texas women went missing after entering Mexico last month. The FBI and local authorities have been alerted to their disappearance and are investigating, but have not offered any updates on that case either.
There are also currently over 100,000 missing Mexican nationals in Mexico.
“We know we’re not the only family yet. And we know there are many more. They too deserve answers,” Zonia said.
