Mexican Border Town Mayor Freed Following Abduction in Zacatecas State

The mayor of the Mexican border town of Rio Bravo was found alive on Sunday, hours after armed individuals abducted him in northern Mexico. Federal officials stated that Miguel Angel Almaraz was released by his captors following the incident in Zacatecas state.

Almaraz was travelling alongside family members and friends on Saturday when armed men intercepted his vehicle. While the captors allowed the other passengers to leave, Almaraz was taken towards the city of Zacatecas. His relatives travelled to a nearby town in San Luis Potosi state to notify authorities, as reported by the state Security Department.

Almaraz serves as the mayor of Rio Bravo, a municipality with a population of approximately 110,000 residents located in Tamaulipas state, situated 11 kilometres from the United States border with Texas. He belongs to the conservative National Action Party and was previously affiliated with the left-wing Party of the Democratic Revolution. In 2015, he was acquitted of money laundering charges following a six-year period of imprisonment.

Law enforcement authorities have stated that an investigation is currently underway to determine the motive behind the abduction and to identify those responsible. The region where the kidnapping occurred, Zacatecas state, is recognised for security concerns and violence associated with cartel operations.

The state has previously experienced significant security incidents, including a car bomb explosion outside a municipal police headquarters in Ojo Caliente that injured 11 people in August, and the discovery of 18 bodies following a reported gun battle between suspected drug cartels in June 2021. Both the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel operate in the area and have been accused of targeting civilians and political figures.