F.B.I. Employee Kidnapped at Gunpoint by Drug Traffickers in South Dakota
In a harrowing incident that unfolded in May 2022, Curt Lauinger, an F.B.I. employee, found himself at the mercy of three individuals involved in a drug trafficking operation in South Dakota. According to court documents, Lauinger had just left a crime scene and was driving toward Rapid City when he was pulled over by a man who pointed a rifle at him and ordered him out of his vehicle.
The man, identified as Juan Alvarez-Sorto, along with two accomplices, forced Lauinger into the back seat of his S.U.V. and drove off, attempting to evade law enforcement officers after a high-speed chase. The trio had planned to distribute drugs, including methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, during their trip from Colorado.
Fortunately, Lauinger managed to escape when the three stopped at a gas station in Hermosa, South Dakota. The perpetrators, later identified as Alvarez-Sorto, Deyvin Morales, and Karla Alejandra Lopez-Gutierrez, were eventually apprehended and faced charges related to kidnapping, carjacking, and use of a firearm.
Alvarez-Sorto, a 25-year-old from El Salvador, was sentenced to 35 years in prison, while Morales and Lopez-Gutierrez are awaiting sentencing. The incident shed light on the dangers faced by law enforcement personnel and the relentless pursuit of justice by the F.B.I. against those who seek to harm its workforce.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the risks and challenges encountered by those working in law enforcement, as well as the determination of authorities to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.
