Adrián Pupo Ojeda, a Cuban doctor who was kidnapped in Tapachula, Mexico while on his migration journey to the United States, has been released by his captors. Sources close to his circle confirmed the news on Saturday, stating that he is now in a secure location.
The announcement was made on Facebook by Dariannis (Dary) Méndez, a close friend of the doctor residing in the U.S., who initially brought attention to the kidnapping and initiated a plea for help to pay the ransom demanded by the abductors. Méndez shared that through the solidarity and collaboration of family, friends, and others, they were able to gather the necessary funds to secure the Cuban doctor's release.
"Thanks to the Hispanic community, friends, acquaintances, and family, we managed to recover Adrián Pupo Ojeda. He is now in a safe place. At some point, he will reach out to everyone in the way he chooses, whether it's a live session or a call. But I want to express that every single dollar donated helped us pay the captors and move him to a safer location until we can bring him to this country," Méndez explained, expressing deep gratitude for the support received.
Daniela Pons, a former classmate of Pupo, informed CubaNet that the doctor sent an audio message to his family using a woman's phone, assuring them of his safety. "They had taken all his belongings, and he had no other means to communicate," Pons told the independent news outlet.
According to CubaNet, Dr. Pupo, aged 28, left Cuba heading to Mexico with the assistance of a "coyote," who took him to the southern border city of Tapachula. There, he was kidnapped by a criminal gang before continuing his journey northward. The abductors contacted Pupo's family in Cuba via a video call from his own phone, demanding $10,000 for his release.
Family and friends were able to collect and send approximately $5,000 through donations from supportive individuals. However, the kidnappers claimed they did not receive the funds directly and insisted on an additional amount, threatening to torture Pupo if the full ransom was not paid.
Pupo's parents sent a video to Cuban journalist Mario Pentón, pleading with the captors to return their son alive. Originally from Puerto Padre, Pupo graduated as a doctor from the University of Las Tunas and is the father of a nearly two-year-old son. He emigrated with the hope of finding better opportunities and providing a more dignified life for his family, especially for his young child.
The Cuban migration crisis has led to an increase in the kidnappings of Cubans in Mexico, with criminal groups exploiting the migration route to extort money from the families of migrants in the United States.