Mexican Man Charged in Texas Border Kidnapping Murder

MCALLEN, Texas — A Mexican man is facing capital murder charges for his alleged role in the kidnapping and murder of a 25-year-old mechanic over a debt.  The case is the third kidnapping murder that may be related to drug or human smuggling in recent weeks on the Texas border.

While authorities have not yet confirmed if the debt was over drugs, human smuggling or other illicit activity, in the early hours of Wednesday December 10 Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Deputies found 25-year-old Edgar Gamez on the side of a rural road in the border city of Mission, court records obtained by Breitbart Texas show.

Gamez had been shot once in the lower back area as he attempted to flee from a group of gunmen that had kidnapped him from his home also in rural Mission, sheriff’s spokesman JP Rodriguez told Breitbart Texas.

Before dying, Gamez was able to utter the name “Monchis” to investigators who after speaking to various individuals were able to identify as 38-year-old Juan Miguel Miranda. While Miranda’s immigration status was not readily available, he is described in police records as being from Mexico. Investigators continue to look for several other men who were involved in the kidnapping and murder.

Gamez’s murder is the third kidnapping murder since October. Pharr Police began looking into the armed kidnapping of 39-year-old Elia Margarita Flores. The information released by authorities at the time was that three large Hispanic gunmen had taken her from the black pickup she was driving in broad daylight. The pickup appears to have belonged to 26-year-old Victor Manuel Garcia whose body was found on November 4 stuffed inside trash bags in a rural field. Flores’ decomposed body was found just six days later also in a rural field. While authorities have not released an official motive for the case, investigators who have spoken with Breitbart Texas said that both victims had been involved in drug trafficking.

Follow Ildefonso Ortiz on Twitter @ildefonsoortiz