Zahie Téllez and Husband Rescued After Kidnapping on Mexico-Cuernavaca Highway

Kidnapping of Chef Zahie Téllez and Rescued After Six Hours

Chef Zahie Téllez and her husband Alberto Escobar were kidnapped on the Mexico-Cuernavaca highway during a live radio interview. Authorities believe it was a case of mistaken identity. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Uriel Carmona Gándara, the attorney general of Morelos, announced one person has been arrested. He stated, “We will find those involved. The victims are safe at home with their loved ones.”

The rescue took place six and a half hours after the kidnapping. Officials recovered the couple’s vehicle, which was intercepted by armed men. Uriel Carmona praised Miguel Ángel Urrutia Lozano, the head of the Morelos Public Security Secretariat, calling the rescue operation a success amid a troubling situation.

On November 23, at 11:55 AM, reporter Cecilia Núñez announced Zahie Téllez’s live interview on the show Concierge en Imagen. Téllez was driving near the limits of Mexico City and Morelos when she stopped to participate in the interview on the KM 46 stretch of the highway.

After a brief interaction, a male voice interrupted the interview. Panic ensued as the voice shouted threats, demanding Téllez and her husband exit the vehicle. The communication abruptly ended. Reporters informed authorities when Téllez failed to reappear.

Details of the Rescue Operation

A joint operation by law enforcement from Morelos, Mexico City, the National Guard, and the Army located Téllez’s vehicle using newly installed surveillance cameras and drones. Urrutia Lozano revealed that one suspect was caught driving the vehicle belonging to the victims.

The incident gained attention due to Téllez being an internationally recognized chef. The Huitzilac area, where the kidnapping occurred, has a history of crime. Carmona emphasized the need for intervention and crime prevention in this region.

Téllez, from Mazatlán, Sinaloa, is well known for her role as a judge on MasterChef Celebrity in 2023 and 2024. She and her husband have been married for several years and have adopted a child.