2 Texas Men Were Taken Into Custody & Charged 2023 Kidnapping & Human Smuggling Conspiracy

Sunday, September 8, 2024, 10:50 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA.- Last week, a federal grand jury for the Western District of Virginia returned an indictment charging two Texas men with federal conspiracy and kidnapping charges stemming from a fatal shooting that took place in January 2023 in the Belmont neighborhood of Charlottesville, Virginia.

     According to U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, following the grand jury returning the indictment last week, Ricardo Franco-Ordaz, 26, of Cedar Creek, Texas, and Jordan Joseph Perez, 20, of Lockhart, Texas, were taken into custody earlier in the week in Texas and each formally charged with one count of Conspiracy to Kidnap; Kidnapping; Conspiracy to Transport an Alien Resulting in Death; Transporting an Alien Resulting in Death; and Conspiracy to Receive Money in Connection with a Kidnapping.

Information Unsealed In Indictment

     According to information unsealed in the indictment, in early January 2023, Franco-Ordaz, Perez, and other co-conspirators planned the kidnapping of multiple victims for ransom. In furtherance of their kidnapping and extortion scheme, they transported victims from Texas to Virginia, where during the scheme, an argument erupted, and a shootout ensued that resulted in the death of a member of the criminal organization.

     Franco-Ordaz arranged to pick up two women from an area close to the United States-Mexico border and bring them to a house near Austin, Texas. Franco-Ordaz and others held both women against their will and, at gunpoint, then called and messaged the women’s family and friends demanding cash in exchange for their safe return.

Shootout Ensues

     Franco-Ordaz exchanged one of the female victims in Texas for $5000 cash. On January 8, 2023, Perez and another co-conspirator transported another female victim to Charlottesville, Virginia, where they arranged to exchange the victim for $10,000 in cash. However, when the exchange was set to take place, it was revealed that the entire $10,000 was unavailable. An ensuing argument and shootout arose that resulted in the death of one of the kidnappers.

     Homeland Security Investigations in Harrisonburg, Virginia, investigated the case with assistance from the Charlottesville Police Department, Albemarle County Police Department, and HSI Austin, Texas.

“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”