- The Washington Times - Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Federal agents are looking for a man who was kidnapped from a Texas home after he bragged about stealing $50,000 from a Mexican drug cartel, according to authorities.

A criminal complaint filed by the FBI said that Erik Tadeo Ramirez of Laredo, Texas, was kidnapped from the U.S. by the Cartel del Noreste, which is based in Mexico’s northeastern state of Tamaulipas.

The missing man was last seen trying to escape from a moving pickup on March 24 while it was crossing into Mexico on the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge in Laredo, Texas.

“The (security cameras) video recording showed a male with blood on his face open the front passenger door of the blue Dodge Ram four-door pick-up truck in distress while … truck was in motion,” court documents state. “Officers at the bridge stated the male was attempting to exit the … truck and was pulled back into the blue Dodge Ram four-door pick-up truck by force.”

The truck flew past the bridge attendant, leaving behind a blood-stained shirt and pair of pants on the side of the road.

Earlier that same night, the FBI said that Mr. Ramirez was boasting about taking cash from the cartel in a phone call with an unknown woman. Witnesses said he told the woman that he wasn’t afraid of the cartel retaliating because he was in the U.S.

Armed men wearing masks later stormed the house and abducted Mr. Ramirez, court documents said. He was loaded in the pickup truck and driven to Nuevo Laredo right across the U.S-Mexico border.

The driver of the truck, Jonathan Cavriales, was arrested days later as he tried to cross the bridge back into Laredo.

The suspect admitted to police that he was aware Mr. Ramirez had stolen $50,000 from the cartel. He has since been charged with kidnapping and is being held without bond.

The other suspects remain at large.

• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.

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