Guerrero kidnapping: Child pleads for father's release

A young boy has released a video pleading with members of the criminal organization ‘La Familia Michoacana’ to release his father, Domingo Atanacio Quirino. The 50-year-old farmer remains the only person missing from a group of eight residents of Ejido El Balcón, in the Ajuchitlán del Progreso municipality, who were kidnapped on September 24.

While six other victims were located alive following a joint operation by federal and local authorities, Quirino’s whereabouts remain unknown. In the video, the child describes his father as a simple farmer and requests that the group disclose his location so the family can retrieve him, noting that he is currently ill.

Local residents suggest that the release of previous victims may have been a result of pressure from security forces following a federal judge's order to locate the captives alive. The criminal group reportedly seeks to control local agricultural and forestry activities in the region.