2 Houstonians tied to deadly human smuggling, kidnapping scheme arrested in Mexico, FBI said

Authorities announced the arrest of Lorie Lin Flowers and Santiago Hernandez Jr., who were apprehended in Michoacan, Mexico, following a months-long search for their involvement in a kidnapping for ransom scheme. The FBI reported that Flowers and Hernandez were wanted on federal charges related to the violent kidnapping of three individuals in Brookshire in March 2023.

In the incident, which occurred on March 18, 2023, federal officials detailed a human smuggling operation originating in Eagle Pass, where six migrants traveling to Houston were pursued and fired upon by a group of cars. Charging documents reveal that 11 armed suspects abducted three of the migrants and forcibly took them into their vehicle along I-10 East in Waller County.

The FBI indicated that three other victims were shot and left at the scene, while the suspects held the kidnapped individuals captive at two hotels in the Houston area. The victims were subjected to beatings, which were recorded and used to extort ransom money from their families.

Flowers and Hernandez’s apprehension follows the arrest of eight other suspects in August 2023. During a raid to rescue three hostages, one suspect was killed, and two others were identified as juveniles.

According to the FBI, Flowers and Hernandez are scheduled for an initial court appearance in Los Angeles, California.