Argentine engineer arrested in Paraguay for alleged kidnapping

An Argentine civil engineer has been arrested in Paraguay in connection with the alleged kidnapping of a minor. Ariel Fernando Moran, 55, was detained in Asunción after allegedly holding a teenage girl captive for three days under threat.

Investigators believe Moran, who reportedly travels frequently to Buenos Aires for work, used the Expo Mariano Roque Alonso, a large trade fair, as a place to meet the victim. The teenager had informed her mother she was attending the expo with friends, but Moran allegedly convinced her to leave them and go with him.

Evidence recovered from Moran's gray Toyota Hilux pickup truck, which bears Argentine license plates, reportedly includes substances suggesting possible alcohol and cocaine addictions. The victim, who was living with her older brother in Santaní while her parents reside in a remote area, was allegedly taken to Moran's property located between the towns of Ypacaraí and San Bernardino.

According to reports, Moran began threatening the victim's friends and family when they tried to contact her. He also allegedly made death threats to a lawyer who intervened on behalf of the victim's family. The arrest occurred after the victim's family alerted authorities, who then tracked down and apprehended Moran.