04162016Sat
Last updateFri, 15 Apr 2016 10am

Cops nab thief who drugged foreign tourists

Police have arrested a man who is suspected of drugging tourists and stealing their belongings after befriending them at the Guadalajara International Airport. 

Miguel Angel Cortez Marquez, 52, has been wanted by federal and state authorities for about three months, when the first cases of drugged travelers began to surface.

The victims were mostly older foreigners, who said they were approached by the suspect at the international arrivals door in the airport. He was reported to have a disarming, gentle manner and was able to convince unsuspecting travelers to accept a lift to a hotel. 

Along the way, Marquez Cortez stopped at a store with the excuse that he was hungry and needed to buy a snack.

He then offered the victims cookies, which were contaminated with Clonazepam, a tranquilizer that left them unconscious. The victims were stripped of their valuables and abandoned near the road to Tlajomulco. 

Police have established that Cortez Marquez operated mostly at weekends, arriving at the airport at around 5 a.m. and leaving at around 8 p.m. He usually performed at least two robberies a day. Surveillance footage allowed victims to identify the culprit. More than 60 stolen suitcases were found at the alleged offender’s residence in Tonala. 

The State Attorney’s Office has invited victims to visit their offices in central Guadalajara to reclaim any stolen luggage.

No Comments Available