The Global Advisor: Spotlight on Latin America | March 2025
Celebrating 30 years in partnership
Mexico
Criminals express kidnap Uruguayan footballer in León (Guanajuato state) Express kidnappers on 27 February targeted a Uruguayan professional footballer as he travelled to training on the León-Lagos highway in Guanajuato state. The criminals forced him out of his vehicle and into their own, holding him captive for approximately two hours before leaving him in an abandoned field. A ransom demand was not disclosed but his vehicle was discovered metres from the site of the kidnapping.
Virtual kidnappers target university students in Sonora Virtual kidnappers on 26 February targeted several students in Cajeme (Sonora state), forcing them to isolate themselves from their families for several hours. Criminals demanded a large ransom payment from one of the families. Police responded to the three incidents and located the victims in various locations around the city, alone and unharmed.
Control Risks comment
University students represent common targets for virtual kidnappers as their movements are often unknown to parents. It is therefore more likely that family members believe the scam. The tactic of targeting multiple students at the same university on the same day is becoming more common, as Control Risks recorded multiple similar incidents in other states such as Jalisco. This trend will likely continue across 2025 as perpetrators attempt to maximize their chances of eliciting a ransom while reducing their exposure to their authorities.
Control Risks comment
Guanajuato regularly registers express kidnaps and kidnaps-for-ransom of wealthy individuals on major highways in the state. Criminals operating on highways in Guanajuato will continue to express kidnap individuals based on their public displays of wealth, such as by targeting luxury vehicles, across 2025. As such, high-net-worth individuals travelling will remain at risk of kidnapping.
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