Overview
- The kidnappers demanded $20,000 from his family in Peru after sending threatening messages, photos, and videos.
- Peru’s Dirincri and Ecuador’s UNASE coordinated the operation, referred to in reports as Libertad 55, using bank-account tracing to find the captors.
- Four Ecuadorian suspects, including a woman, were detained, and police say they have prior records for robbery and illicit drug trafficking.
- The 61-year-old said he was chained to a tree, physically abused, and threatened with a machete during his captivity.
- Investigators are continuing the case, with reports differing on whether five kidnappers were involved while four are in custody.