A Pharr man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his involvement in a kidnapping for ransom scheme. Sixto Gonzalez Jr., 27, pleaded guilty to hostage-taking charges on May 15, 2023. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane ordered Gonzalez to serve the prison term followed by five years of supervised release. During the sentencing hearing, evidence was presented about Gonzalez's violent criminal history and attempts to bribe a correctional guard while in custody. The court emphasized the gravity of the crime, the injuries suffered by the victim, and Gonzalez's continued criminal activities.
U.S. Attorney Hamdani stated, "The victim in this case was lured into Mexico because Gonzalez assumed that authorities wouldn't bother to invest resources into a kidnapping that occurred there." He added that efforts would continue with international law enforcement partners to protect American citizens abroad.
Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp from the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office commented on the case: “U.S. citizens deserve to be safe from violence, no matter where they are.” He urged anyone with information about crimes against Americans overseas to contact authorities.
Gonzalez admitted to unlawfully detaining a 19-year-old Alamo man as part of a plan to extort ransom money for his release. On June 23, 2021, he lured the victim into Mexico under false pretenses of a job opportunity and subsequently restrained him at a house in Reynosa with several accomplices.
The kidnappers demanded $5,000 and a firearm for the victim's return and sent a video showing him being beaten when his family could not immediately provide these items. Law enforcement located and searched the house where they found the victim bound and injured along with Gonzalez inside.
Gonzalez remains in custody awaiting transfer to a designated U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI with assistance from Reynosa State police in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colton Turner and Roberto Lopez handled prosecution duties.