• RANSOM: Mexican government sources confirmed Monday that the two tourists -one French businessman and one Mexican actor- who were abducted on Sunday while at the Nevado de Toluca nature park in Central Mexico were released after paying a relatively small ransom of USD 1,500.
• DOUBTS: Two hours from Mexico City, both men were freed after a search in several municipalities of the State of Mexico where 285 kidnappings have been reported this year. Yet, authorities believe that those suspected of carrying Sunday’s crime were rather car robbers given the small ransom paid.
• THANKS: “We warmly thank the Mexican authorities whose help was essential in this outcome”, said the Quai d’Orsay (the French Foreign Ministry) in a press release after a day and a half search that included the Mexican National Guard being deployed in several municipalities.
• RESIDENTS: The number of French nationals residing in Mexico was 8,600 in 2015 according to a recent academic study using data from the Mexican statistics agency (INEGI). In its most recent warning France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had said kidnappings for ransom in Mexico were rare.
