CALIFORNIA – The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced September 16 that a brother and sister from Rosarito, Mexico, were sentenced to federal prison.
Authorities said the siblings were part of a kidnapping scheme in which the brother posed as an intermediary while his son and sister crossed into the U.S. to collect ransom money.
Mario Alex Medina, 55, known as “Shyboy,” was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison and ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution.
María Alejandra Medina, 52, a U.S. citizen living in Mexico, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison and ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution.
A jury in October 2024 found both siblings guilty of conspiracy to commit hostage taking and conspiracy to demand a ransom payment.
Mario Medina was also convicted of making a foreign communication with intent to extort.
Family pays $30,000 ransom
On November 5, 2022, Mario Medina helped orchestrate a break-in at the home of a neighbor, identified as “R.V.,” where the victim was kidnapped at gunpoint. The accomplices pistol-whipped him and fired a shot near his head.
The following day, a co-conspirator contacted the victim’s family in Los Angeles County, demanding $70,000 for his release and sending a video via WhatsApp showing R.V. being beaten.
A few days later, the kidnappers directed the family to a McDonald’s in San Ysidro, located north of the U.S.-Mexico border, to deliver a $30,000 ransom, threatening to kill R.V. if the payment was not made.
Mario’s son, José Salud Medina “Gordo,” and María Alejandra Medina met at that location, collected $30,000, and then transported the money back to Mexico. After collecting the ransom, the kidnappers left R.V. tied up in a subterranean trench, where Mexican law enforcement rescued him later the same day.
Son remains in Mexican custody
José Salud Medina, 32, remains in Mexican custody on unrelated charges. He is expected to be tried separately on similar charges, including conspiracy to commit hostage taking, conspiracy to demand ransom payment, and making foreign communications with intent to extort.
 announced September 16 that a brother and sister from Rosarito, Mexico, were sentenced to federal prison.){kind=link}