Extortionists target families of crash victims in Guatemala

By SONIA PÉREZ D.
Associated Press

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemalan families awaiting word on the fate of relatives involved in a deadly migrant smuggling accident in southern Mexico are now also living with the terror of extortionists telling them their loved ones have been kidnapped. In the vacuum of official information following Thursday’s deadly crash that left 55 migrants dead, opportunists are demanding money from their families for information. In its desperation, one Guatemalan family had published its phone number on social media hoping for information about their missing relative. On Monday, they shared with an AP reporter a screen capture showing a Mexican phone number demanding $3,000 if they wanted to see him again.