Sadly for many Venezuelan MLB players the issue of kidnapping attempts has been a constant concern, and now the family of Tigers pitcher Brayan Villarreal was the latest targets.
Tigers president and GM Dave Dombrowki issued the following statement via ESPN
“Everybody is unharmed, and Villarreal is in camp,”
The kidnapping attempt took place last Friday night and no one was harmed, but the event was harrowing none the less. Villarreal’s agent recounted the family’s ordeal:
“The guys put a gun in the mouth of Brayan’s father and his little 14-year-old brother, threatening that they would return and kidnap everybody if they said anything to the police. When the authorities reached the house to investigate if something was going on, they threatened everyone to not open the door,”
Kidnappings in the South American country have only been increasing over the years with more than 600 accounted ones since 2009 alone. One of the more notable kidnapping attempts was the one involving Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos, who spent 50 hours in captivity.
Scary situation all around and thankfully everyone was safe, but this continues to be a growing concern for Venezuelan players.