F.B.I. Says Dead Border Patrol Official May Be Behind Recent Kidnappings

A border patrol agent who was discovered dead in his home in south Texas this week may have responsible for kidnapping and assaulting three women who had entered the U.S. illegally.

According to the F.B.I. investigators, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents came across an unidentified female on Wednesday who claimed she and two other women had been abducted and assaulted by a man.

Following the incident, authorities encountered a second woman who was also injured, leading the investigation to a house in Mission, Texas, belonging to a border patrol official. The agent, who was identified as Esteban Manzanares, was dead when authorities arrived, while a third woman was discovered at his home.

“We believe he is the person responsible for the kidnappings and the assault of all three of them,” said Michelle Lee, an FBI spokeswoman in San Antonio, according to the Associated Press.

Customs and Border Protection is reportedly in full cooperation with the F.B.I. as the investigation continues.

[AP]