TUCSON, Ariz. (NewsNation) — A former Border Patrol agent with decades of service who says he has seen the Nancy Guthrie ransom letter understands law enforcement’s urgency and why they’re remaining tight-lipped about it.
“I’ve seen parts of the ransom letter, and that’s why I understand why law enforcement isn’t talking about it. They aren’t displaying it to everyone,” Art Del Cueto, a security adviser for the conservative Federation for Immigration Reform, told NewsNation.
A specialized unit within Border Patrol was initially assisting in the search for Guthrie.
There has been no response to two separate pleas from “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s family for their mother’s apparent kidnapper to make contact. Investigators said Thursday they have no proof Nancy Guthrie is still alive after she was reported missing in Arizona over the weekend.
The family has asked for proof of life after ransom notes were sent out to media outlets. The first deadline for one of those notes has passed; authorities said a purported captor demanded millions in bitcoin by Thursday evening.
As the deadline passed without contact, Guthrie’s son issued a plea for his mother’s return in a new Instagram video.
“Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you,” said Camron Guthrie. “We need you to reach out, we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward. But first, we have to know you have our mom. We want to talk to you, and we are waiting for contact.”
The ransom note reportedly included specific details about items inside Guthrie’s home, including an Apple Watch and a floodlight. According to TMZ, which received one of the letters, the missed deadline would trigger a Monday deadline, along with a new demand and a more serious consequence.
“People want answers, and they want answers quick, and I get that,” said Del Cueto. “But I think it’s very important that certain specifics within that letter are kept to law enforcement at this point so they can further their investigation.”
Authorities are now offering a $50,000 reward for information on Guthrie’s disappearance as the search continues.
A person described as a “ransom impostor” by authorities was arrested Thursday.
Arizona law enforcement officials have not identified a suspect or a person of interest in the case, but authorities said they are following up on several leads and are not giving up hope.
Authorities have stated they do not have any evidence suggesting Guthrie was taken out of the country at this time.
NewsNation’s Steph Whiteside, Jeff Arnold, Marty Hobe and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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