June 28 (UPI) -- Authorities in southern Mexico said they are searching for 14 administrative workers of the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection who were abducted by gunmen in the state of Chiapas.
The Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection in Chiapas announced the abduction in a brief statement Tuesday, saying the kidnapping occurred on a highway between Ocozocoautla and the state's capital of Tuxtla Gutierrez.
An air and ground operation involving "all the armed forces" was immediately deployed "to find the whereabouts of the [workers] deprived of their liberty," the office said, adding that all necessary actions were being taken to find the missing workers and bring those responsible to justice.
Videos published to social media of the apparent abduction show it was conducted by men armed with long guns wearing what appears to be body armor.
The office of Chiapas' attorney general issued a statement Tuesday night saying it was analyzing various video and photographic material taken of the incident to determine the facts of the case.
It also confirmed that those kidnapped are administrative workers of the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection of Chiapas.
It added that it is participating in the search for the missing government employees.
