In a remarkable story that echoes the 2008 film “Taken,” a mother in Mexico embarked on a relentless quest to track down the criminals responsible for kidnapping and murdering her daughter. Miriam Elizabeth Rodriguez Martinez, a resident of San Fernando, Tamaulipas, became a fearless activist for missing children after her daughter Karen Alejandra Salinas Rodriguez was abducted by the Los Zetas Cartel in the northeastern Mexican city.
When a group of armed cartel members forced Karen, 20, into her car and drove away, Miriam knew she had to take matters into her own hands. Corruption in law enforcement, particularly when dealing with drug cartels, is a widespread issue in Mexico. After paying the kidnappers’ ransom demands, Miriam was devastated to learn that Karen had been killed, and her remains were discovered on an abandoned ranch.
As reported by the DailyMail, Miriam went to great lengths to locate and interrogate several Los Zetas cartel members, employing disguises, a fake handgun, a real pistol, and false identification. The New York Times revealed that in three years, she managed to apprehend nearly every living member of the crew that had kidnapped her daughter.
Miriam’s daring efforts included a high-stakes encounter with one of the captors known as “the florist,” who she found selling sunglasses on the US-Mexico border. Disguised in a trench coat and baseball hat to hide her distinctive red hair, she raced to confront him. Despite being recognized and pursued by the man, the 56-year-old mother caught and tackled him. She held him at gunpoint for nearly an hour until authorities arrived to arrest him.
In another instance, Miriam’s son, Luis, inadvertently encountered one of the kidnappers on his mother’s list when the man wandered into his store in Cuidad Victoria. After calling the police, the man was arrested and revealed the grisly details of Karen’s murder.
Sadly, Miriam’s tireless crusade put her in the crosshairs of the cartel. Reports indicate that she was shot and killed outside her home on Mother’s Day, only weeks after chasing down one of her last targets. She was found by her husband, lying face down in the street with her hand inside her purse, next to her pistol. Miriam died en route to the hospital.
Giovanni Barrios Moreno, whose own son disappeared, praised Miriam, saying she was a brave person who cared about others and had the courage to stand up for her beliefs. Before her death, Miriam had requested armed guards from the government, fearing the repercussions of her actions after prisoners escaped jail in Ciudad Victoria. Her pleas went unanswered.
Miriam’s legacy lives on through her son Luis, who has taken over the group she started to support local families with missing loved ones. The town of San Fernando has honored her memory by placing a bronze plaque in the central plaza.
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