Please be aware that this news item from December 2020 is being reposted.
Mother Miriam Elizabeth Rodriguez Martnez of San Fernando, Tamaulipas, Mexico, engaged in a remarkable tale of strength and tenacity when her daughter Karen Alejandra Salinas Rodriguez was kidnapped and slain in 2012. Her uncompromising dedication to justice ultimately led to her death, which is similar to the plot of the movie “Taken.”
Karen was taken hostage by armed Los Zetas Cartel members in 2012 when she was just 20 years old. In spite of the family paying the required ransom, Karen was brutally murdered and her bones were only discovered in 2014.
After her daughter was abducted and tragically slain, Miriam embarked on an amazing voyage and made enormous attempts to track down her daughter’s killers. Using disguises, false identities, and even a fake weapon, Miriam was able to locate and question numerous members of the Los Zetas cartel, one of Mexico’s most feared organized crime groups.
One of her targets was a former florist who had joined the cartel. Miriam learned of his whereabouts through a tip and confronted him near to the Mexican-American border. She held Cristian Jose Zapata Gonzalez, who was only 18 at the time, at gunpoint until police arrived to take him into custody. She was held responsible for the arrest of at least ten criminals as a result of her bravery.
Miriam had been searching for her kid nonstop when she met a cartel member who offered to help her find her daughter for a charge. Using the member’s alias, Sama, she followed the person to an ice cream shop in Ciudad Victoria, two hours away. She used guises, fake polling, and a policeman to help her conduct extensive monitoring.
It wasn’t until September 2014 that Sama was located after being reported by Miriam’s son in Ciudad Victoria who had spotted him at his shop. Sama ultimately confessed to killing Karen, which made it easier to find and capture additional criminals.
Miriam sadly paid for her fierce determination with her life. On Mother’s Day in 2017, she was slain after receiving 12 gunshot wounds outside her home. She is immediately lauded as a hero in her city, though, where organized crime usually goes unchecked.
Her story serves as a testament to the power of a mother’s love and determination. People who knew Miriam were amazed by her dogged pursuit of justice, similar to Liam Neeson’s character in the film “Taken,” in a locale where law enforcement usually turns a blind eye to organized crime.
By continuing to look for missing family members, her non-governmental group of 600 families, led by her surviving son Luis, carries on her legacy. Because of her fortitude in the face of danger and her fight for justice, Miriam is an inspiration to everyone.
Miriam’s experience serves as a reminder that, despite the dangers, seeking justice in a place where it usually seems unreachable is a task worth completing.
