Houston police say the men abducted unsuspecting victims and
then held them hostage until their relatives paid about
two-thousand dollars for their release.
Police say they may have targeted Spanish-speaking victims who
are wary of alerting authorities.
The Houston group is described by police as "organized," but said
they have no evidence to connect it to criminal operations in other
countries.
Forty-seven-year-old Elionay Pena, 24-year-old Ricardo Patino,
and 19-year-old Jose Alberto Martinez are charged with aggravated
kidnapping and aggravated robbery.
They're being held in the Harris County Jail without bond.
