'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The kidnapping of Eduardo Garcia Valseca in 2007 brought the horrors of organized crime and violence in Mexico to light. Valseca was tortured and held hostage inside a small wooden box for seven months as the kidnappers demanded a whopping $8 million in exchange for his life.
Following seven months of torture, Eduardo Garcia Valseca was released on January 24, 2008, after his wife, Jayne, had made a payment of an undisclosed amount, per The Sun UK. Valseca was blindfolded and dropped at a cemetery with his bus fare. Jayne spotted him walking towards their ranch three days after the ransom amount was paid.
The Dateline NBC episode titled The Ranch showcases the horrific details of Eduardo Valseca's kidnapping as it airs on NBC on July 5, 2024, at 9 p.m. EST. The official synopsis reads:
Trending
The Valseca siblings' lives are changed when their father is taken hostage in an orchestrated abduction."
The upcoming episode 25 of Season 28 was originally aired on March 20, 2020.
How was Eduardo Garcia Valseca kidnapped?
Episode 25 of Season 28 of Dateline showcases Eduardo Valseca's captivity, as he was held hostage for over seven months by unidentified criminals. Eduardo Garcia Valseca and his wife, Jayne Rager Valseca, had dropped off their three children at school on June 12, 2007.
As they were on a rural road in their Jeep close to their property, they were cornered by men in vehicles who attacked their car and took the couple hostage in a separate SUV. Jayne shared with CNN:
"We were ambushed. Our windows were smashed and we were pulled from the car at gunpoint. My brain didn't even have time to register what was happening,"
As Eduardo was transferred to another vehicle and taken away, Jayne was left behind on the highway. She made her way home on foot and got in touch with the Federal Investigative Agency (Agencia Federal de Investigación or AFI) of Mexico.
Jayne headed back to the place where she was abandoned and got hold of a ransom note, setting up a communication line to eventually demand $8 million, per Oxygen. After seven months of negotiations, Jayne bought Eduardo's freedom with an undisclosed amount of money.
Jayne Valseca had sent two ranch employees for the ransom drop, but one of the men was abducted
Where was Eduardo Valseca held hostage?
Eduardo Garcia Valseca was released on January 24, 2008, and made his way to his home back to his family with less than half his bodyweight. According to a report prepared by Jacqui Paterson, Eduardo was left 40 miles away with only enough money for bus fare.
Eduardo Valseca was held hostage inside a small wooden cage with only a bucket as a substitute for a toilet. He would be fed little to no food often consisting of egg shells and chicken bones, as Jayne wrote in her book We Have Your Husband.
According to CNN, Eduardo was locked inside a cage of approximate dimensions of 70 x 20 x 80 inches. The kidnappers kept a small bulb lit inside the box and blared music from loudspeakers all day to keep him disoriented, per CNN.
Three days after Jayne had reportedly paid the ransom amount, she noticed a frail Eduardo from her kitchen window walk towards their ranch.
Catch all the details of Eduardo Garcia Valseca's kidnapping on Dateline's upcoming episode on NBC on Friday.
