Mexican mayor rescued alive hours after kidnapping

Miguel Ángel Almaraz, mayor of the border city of Río Bravo, has been rescued alive hours after being kidnapped in Mexico's northern state of Zacatecas. Federal officials said the kidnappers released him on Sunday (November 8). The incident took place in a region known for drug cartel activity and violence.

On Saturday (November 7), armed men stopped his car as he was travelling with family members and friends near the border between the states of Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí. They kidnapped him but released the others who were in the car.

His relatives reached a town in San Luis Potosí state and informed the authorities about the incident. According to the state's security department, efforts to rescue him began immediately afterwards.

The kidnappers released him on Sunday (November 8), a few hours after taking him to Zacatecas city. Federal officials said he was alive and well after his release.

Miguel Ángel Almaraz is the mayor of the Río Bravo municipality in Tamaulipas state, about 11 kilometres from the Texas border in the United States. The city has a population of about 110,000.

In 2015, he served six years in prison on money-laundering charges before being acquitted by a court. He is a member of the conservative National Action Party (PAN). Earlier, he was associated with the left-wing Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD).

It is still not clear why he was kidnapped. The authorities are investigating who was behind the incident.

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel are active in Zacatecas state. These criminal groups are accused of attacks on civilians and politicians.

Local politicians in Mexico are frequently targeted in cartel violence. The kidnapping and swift release of the Río Bravo mayor is another example of that violent reality.

The authorities said an investigation is under way to find out who was behind the kidnapping and why he was taken.