A group of 16 police officers who were kidnapped on June 27 in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas were released Friday, state governor Rutilio Escandón reported.
“I want to inform the people of Chiapas and Mexico that the 16 kidnapped SSyPC (Security Secretariat) compañeros have been released this afternoon,” said the local ruler via Twitter, while local television stations showed live the reunion between those released and their relatives.
I want to inform the people of Chiapas and Mexico that the 16 kidnapped SSyPC compañeros have been released this afternoon. We thank the President @lopezobrador_, the Mexican Army, the Navy, the National Guard, the Prosecutor’s Offices and the State Police for their collaboration.
— Rutilio Escandón (@RutilioEscandon) June 30, 2023
The police workers came walking to the headquarters of the Chiapas Security Secretariat where their relatives had set up a sit-in to demand the appearance of the kidnapped alive.
Upon seeing them arrive, their relatives ran to hug them between screams and tears of emotion at the surprise of their arrival, according to images from Foro TV and Milenio television stations. Some of the employees arrived holding hands or hugging and looked visibly tired, according to the AFP agency.
“We thank President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the Mexican Army, the Navy, the National Guard, the State Prosecutor’s Offices and Police for their collaboration,” Escandón added in his Twitterwithout giving further details of how his release was achieved.
Some thousand agents of the state and federal security forces have taken part since June 28 in operations to rescue the hostages, who were held in the town of Ocozocoautla when they were traveling on a bus after their workday. 33 people were traveling on the bus, of which 16 men were apprehended and 17 women were released.