SANTO DOMINGO. - An international criminal organization kidnapped two people linked to a 110 million dollar fraud of the United States Medicare system, which had demanded its share.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) sent agent Denis Pierce on the case involving the Dominican Lenin Linares, 30, and the Cuban Yanilsis Benítez, 27, rescued early Thursday in a residence in the Lucerna sector, of Santo Dominican East. Linares was rescued in a house in the sector Satelite, near the Duarte highway.

Both were kidnapped July 4 and National Police chief Rafael Guzmán himself provided the details of the kidnapping this morning.

The FBI entered the case because Benitez’s father and a brother defrauded Medicare, and are wanted by the U.S. agents.

According to Police the kidnapping was ordered by a person of Cuban origin who demanded a part of the 110 million dollars swindled from Medicare. Carlos and Luis, Benítez’s father and brother who committed the fraud against Medicare, are in the country, though Police have yet to locate them.

The kidnappers, who are Dominican, were hired to carry out the kidnapping by the unidentified person, who demanded the US$5 million from Benitez’s father, because he was allegedly deceived by the swindlers. The Police presume Benitez’s father, a Cuban citizen, is in the country and has bought numerous properties.

Police arrested five of the kidnappers and two managed to escape.

She said she wasn’t tortured, though the kidnappers threatened to cut her hands if the five million dollars weren’t delivered.

Benítez lives and works in a hotel in the Bavaro tourism region (east), where she was kidnapped together with Linares, who also works there.

Both were kidnapped while on the job and a first report said they were spouses, which was denied today.