Mexican border town mayor found alive after hourslong kidnapping in Zacatecas

CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico (AP) — The mayor of a Mexican border town was found alive Sunday after he was kidnapped for several hours while traveling in the northern state of Zacatecas, federal officials said.

Miguel Angel Almaraz was traveling with family and friends Saturday in a region that straddles the states of Zacatecas and San Luis de Potosi, when his car was intercepted by armed men, who took Almaraz and let his family go.

According to the Security Department of San Luis Potosi, Almaraz’s relatives were able to reach a town in that state, where they alerted authorities about the kidnapping.

Officials said that Almaraz was taken to the city of Zacatecas, where he was released by his captors. The case is under investigation.

Several drug gangs known for attacking civilians and politicians operate in the area where Almaraz was kidnapped Saturday, including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel. So far, authorities have not identified the perpetrators of Almaraz’s kidnapping.

Almaraz is the mayor of Rio Bravo, a municipality of about 110,000 people in Tamaulipas state. The city is located just seven miles (11 kilometers) from Mexico's border with Texas.

The mayor was imprisoned in 2009 on accusations of money laundering and stealing fuel but was acquitted six years later. Almaraz is a member of the conservative National Action Party, but has represented other parties in his political career, including the left-wing Party of the Democratic Revolution.