Brothers Plead Guilty to Holding 3 Immigrants Hostage in California

Published on April 24, 2024

SAN DIEGO—Two brothers who kidnapped a trio of immigrants and held them for ransom at an Escondido home have pleaded guilty to federal charges, prosecutors said Tuesday. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Virves Pablo-Francisco, 22, and Nicolas Pablo-Francisco, 20, held a 16-year-old boy from Afghanistan, as well as a 41-year-old father and 19-year-old son from Ecuador, hostage and demanded thousands of dollars from their families. According to court documents, the siblings demanded between $4,000 and $10,000 for each person’s release. Prosecutors say the abductions came to light on June 13 of last year, when the 16-year-old boy’s family in the United States was contacted by his kidnappers....

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