Boston Gangs Kidnapping For Ransom

[From article]
A brazen gang of Dominican “joloperros,” or “stickup men,” who kidnapped a man at gunpoint in Boston for ransom and held him in Lawrence, have pleaded guilty and face long prison terms, but the feds say more gangs are preying on dealers — a dangerous game one drug cartel expert says could eventually target innocent citizens.
“They’re very sophisticated, they conduct surveillance, they’re pretty savvy at what they do,” said Vincent Lisi, special agent in charge of Boston’s FBI office, of the roving gangs of joloperros that operate under the radar in the Bay State. “The problem is that we can never say for certain that it is on the downturn because a lot of the time these guys will target other criminals and these crimes go unreported.”
The gangs “typically kidnapped drug dealers for large ransoms ... used safe houses to hold their hostages; and sometimes assaulted and burned their victims while they held them captive,” U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz said.
[. . .]
Mexican cartel kidnappings initially targeted rivals, Manjarrez said.
“Then it expanded. They would look at people in the community, bankers, businessmen. We had gangs going to honest business people and taking them off the street. Who wouldn’t pay to get their husband, or loved one back?” he said.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2015/03/fbi_kidnapping_crew_just_tip_of_iceberg

FBI: Kidnapping crew just tip of iceberg
Thursday, March 19, 2015
By: Owen Boss, O’Ryan John
Boston Herald