Two Female Soldiers Kidnapped, Released in Western Mexico

One of Mexico’s most violent cartels is suspected of being behind the kidnapping of two female soldiers with the Army in the western part of the country. The kidnapping comes months after the same organization kidnapped two sailors in the same state.

The case began on Thursday early morning in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, where gunmen kidnapped the military personnel from their apartment. Soon after, authorities set off a large-scale operation to locate and rescue the military officials.

During a news conference, Mexican Army General Vicente Perez Lopez revealed the two females were in Puerto Vallarta on vacation and that the attack was targeting the military–not the general public. The victims were identified as Second Lieutenant Tania Quintanar Zarco and Sergeant Ana Laura Olvera Arellano.

Breitbart Texas was able to learn from Mexican law enforcement sources that the kidnapping was reportedly carried out by members of Cartel Jalisco New Generation, under orders of Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez, a son of top cartel boss Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes. One of the theories by Mexican authorities points to the kidnapping being an attempt to pressure the government to release Valencia’s mother, Rosalinda Valencia. Mexican authorities arrested her last November in Zapopan, Jalisco. A second theory suggests the kidnapping is payback for a recent military operation in Puerto Vallarta, targeting a top cartel lieutenant named “El Chopa.” El Chopa sustained fatal injuries and died shortly after at a hospital.

By Thursday evening, cartel gunmen released the two women near a shopping center in Puerto Vallarta. They sustained minor injuries.

The kidnapping comes months after CJNG kidnapped two members of Mexico’s Navy in Zapopan, Jalisco. That kidnapping was reportedly carried out by another one of Rosalinda’s children days after her arrest. Cartel gunmen also released the two military officials hours after the initial kidnapping.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.