PORTLAND, Texas — A South Texas mother and her daughter are reunited after nearly five years apart following an international kidnapping that drew the attention of local, state and federal authorities.
Portland police announced Monday that Emerald Garcia, who disappeared in April 2021 at the age of 7, has been safely returned home. She is now 12.
Authorities say Emerald was taken from her home in Portland and smuggled into Mexico. The investigation stretched across multiple jurisdictions and involved years of coordination between law enforcement agencies on both sides of the border…