Venezuela: Express Kidnappings at Caracas’s International Airport

By Larry Habegger | Permalink | No Comments | August 30th, 2005 | Trackback

Armed robberies of travelers inside and outside Caracas’ Maiquetia Simon Bolivar International Airport have occurred with regularity the past several months, with the U.S. Embassy reporting at least one complaint per week from U.S. citizens who have been robbed. “Express kidnappings” also occur frequently. In an express kidnapping, a taxi driver persuades an arriving traveler to board for a ride into the city, then drives a short distance and picks up an accomplice, who then forces the victim to hand over his bank cards and cash. Together they drive to ATMs to empty his bank accounts and then abandon him, usually with enough money to take a taxi to his hotel. The problem is so severe that one U.S. company that does a lot of business in Caracas requires its employees to travel from the airport with a security detail.

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