LIMONES, MEXICO – In a harrowing ordeal, a man from New York narrowly escaped death after being kidnapped and held for a $200,000 ransom in Mexico. The abductors blindfolded Joseph Constantine Buonincontri, bound his wrists and ankles, and abandoned him in the dense jungle of Limones, about 200 miles southwest of Cancun.
The alarm was raised by locals who noticed armed men driving a taxi from the resort area of Tulum into the remote wilderness. This tip-off led to a rescue mission spearheaded by the Mexican military and the Mexican National Guard.
Buonincontri, 35, was discovered alive but tied up in a straw hut, as reported by the Quintana Roo Attorney General’s Office. The authorities also retrieved a backpack filled with marijuana, a tactical vest, and loaded magazines for an AR-15 from the site.
The kidnappers are still at large, their identities unknown. Buonincontri was found unharmed on February 4, according to local news sources and the prosecutor’s office.
A video clip of the rescue operation, shared on borderlandbeat.com, shows the moment when Buonincontri was found. A soldier is heard asking about his condition and if he needs food or water. Buonincontri’s response was to ask for a cigarette and to have his blindfold removed.
Buonincontri reportedly told the soldiers that he was visiting a relative in Limones from New York. When questioned about his abduction, he could not recall the details.
The Fiscalía General del Estado de Quintana Roo, the local prosecutor’s office, issued a statement expressing gratitude to the Mexican Army, National Guard, and local police for their roles in the rescue.