Arturo Zacarías, a sailor from Misantla, Veracruz, returned to his homeland after being kidnapped for 14 months by Houthi militants in Yemen. Zacarías was one of the 25 crew members of the cargo ship “Galaxi Leader,” who were taken hostage while working in the conflict region.
The sailor’s return was an emotional moment, as his family and friends welcomed him with flowers and displays of affection at the airport.
The experience of the kidnapping
In an interview, Zacarías recounted the tense moments he experienced when the ship was boarded:
“It was a Sunday at the company, it was a rest day. At 1:30 they arrived by helicopter, entered the bridge and the captain asked us to surrender. Thank God we are alive because they had instructions to shoot.”
For 11 months, they remained detained on the ship, and the last three months they were in a safe house. Finally, upon boarding an Omani air force plane, Zacarias knew that his nightmare was over.
Emotional reunion with his family
“He was about to leave the ship when all this happened. Although it was a very complicated year, this strengthened our love.”
His mother, Maria Teresa Meza, highlighted the support of faith:
“I just want to thank God for never letting us go. It took a while for the response, but we finally made it.”
Arturo Zacarias’ future plans
The sailor kidnapped in Yemen said that his priority now is to rest with his loved ones and focus on his wedding. Although he does not rule out returning to the sea as a sailor, he assured that he will not return to the conflict zone.
Source: unotv
