18 Tons of Stolen Explosives In Mexico Found By Police

In what could have turned into a very serious situation, Federal agents in Mexico have located 18 tons of explosives that had been stolen hours earlier near the borders of Nuevo Leon and Coahuila, according to the federal Public Security Secretariat (SSP) in Mexico.

State Attorney General Jesus Torres said on Friday that the explosives were being transported to the Gulf coast state of Tamaulipas for use by the state oil company when they were stolen by unidentified gunmen. Reports indicate that several bullet holes were found in the vehicle, however authorities have not confirmed this. The driver is still missing.

The cargo consisted of 18 tons of explosive material with the trade name Seismic Booster (high explosive) and the chemical name Pentolite. It’s reported to be composed of the raw materials TNT and PETN.

Authorities had alerted security officials and the military throughout the Northeast region, and along the U.S., Mexico border.

Translated From Various Sources

US Anti-kidnapping Expert Kidnapped In Mexico

A U.S. anti-kidnapping expert was abducted by gunmen in northern Mexico last week, a sign of just how bold this nation’s kidnapping gangs have become.

U.S. security consultant Felix Batista was in Saltillo in Coahuila state to offer advice on how to confront abductions for ransom when he himself was seized, local authorities said.

Unknown assailants grabbed him on Dec. 10, said Charlie LeBlanc, the president of the Houston, Texas-based security firm ASI Global LLC., where Batista is a consultant.

“We have notified the FBI and Mexican authorities, and they are working on the case,” LeBlanc said Monday. “What we are doing is we’re offering our support to the family and hoping for the best.”

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City said it would not comment on the case, and LeBlanc declined to say whether a ransom demand had been received.

LeBlanc said Batista had his own security business and that “he was in Mexico for business that wasn’t associated with our company.”

“Part of that could be or may involve negotiations with kidnappers,” Leblanc said. ASI Global’s Web site advertises “kidnap and ransom response” and says the company has worked for major insurance companies.

A woman who answered a phone number listed under Batista’s name in Miami, Florida said she did not wish to comment on the case.

Batista was frequently cited as an anti-kidnapping expert at conferences and in the press.

A story in the December issue of the trade magazine Security Management describes how Batista organized relatives’ response to a kidnapping in Mexico, even cooking the family at times. He advised the family during months-long negotiations that eventually reduced the ransom request to about a third of the original amount the kidnappers had demanded. The victim was eventually released.

Local media reported that Batista was 55 years old, but his age was not included on his professional profile.

via Source.