U.S. VICE-CONSUL KIDNAPPED IN MEXICO

Created: 3/27/1974

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

U.S^ Vice-Consul Kidnapped1 in Mexico

John Patterson,. Vico-Consul in Hcrnosillo, Mexico was kidnapped onarch, allegedly by members of tho hithorto unknown Peoples' Liberation Army of Mcxlo. was last seen leaving the consulate that morning,en route to an. meeting with Mexican officials. The appointmont was never kept and when the consulate reopened afteransom note was discovered. Written bythe note demanded the payment0 to be made in two equal installments. One payment was to be made in Noga-lcs, Mexico the morning ofarch, the socond in Mexico City later that day. The kidnappers also demandedo news release of the kidnapping be issued and threatened that if they were betrayed or if aof the Peoples' Liberation Amy was detained, the kidnappers were prepared to. officialember. official's family each week until those dotaincd were released andto leave Mexico unharmed.

Arrangements were made to meet tho kidnappers' demand; however, no contact was made by the kidnappers at either No-gales or Mexico City at the appointed times.

Ippers

may be American rather than

sion on several factors, including tho wording ol the and the title of the ostensible revolutionaryboth of which'n keepingeHHrnner in which the proposedwere to be effected--oneorder town, thethe Mexico City International Airport--does not fitoperandi of previous Mexican terrorist kidnappingand suggests that the kidnappers may haveto the United States. Also consideredthe requirement that the ransom payments be made inrather than pesos and the fact that Vicc-Consullast seen in the company of an unidentified Americanthe time of the kidnapping.

As ofarch there has heen no reported contact with or further instructions from the kidnappers. pB^pB^pB^pHfHj