Police Chief Pedro de Jesús Candelier committed to resolve the kidnapping of 24-year old José Manuel Jiménez, son of an affluent businessman in northeastern San Francisco de Macorís. Jiménez was kidnapped early in the morning on Wednesday, 16 August. Kidnappings were a rare occurrence in the DR, but they are now happening, coinciding with the increase in drug trafficking operations. Jiménez’s father owns a remittance agency, an exchange house and a shopping center in San Francisco. The Police placed Secret Service Commander Hector García Cuevas in charge of the investigations. Kidnappers in the DR face a 30 year jail sentence.
