A Mexican national was sentenced on May 7 to 120 months in prison for orchestrating a kidnapping-for-hire scheme intended to collect a drug debt, according to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas.
Carlos Niebla-Machado, age 51, who was illegally residing in Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted kidnapping. Court documents state that in February 2024, confidential sources informed the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) that Niebla-Machado was allegedly selling large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl from California into the Kansas City area. He told these sources he wanted someone kidnapped over a $300,000 drug debt.
In June 2024, an undercover KBI agent met with Niebla-Machado. During their meeting, Niebla-Machado provided detailed information about the intended victim and said he wanted violent acts committed against the person to force them to sign over property. He gave the agent a firearm and a truck as partial payment for carrying out the crime and indicated his intention to question the victim about real estate once they were held captive.
Investigators notified the intended victim about the plot. The victim cooperated with authorities and explained having already given Niebla-Machado furniture, electronics, cash totaling $20,000, vehicles including trucks—all toward an approximate $100,000 debt that continued accruing interest.
On July 1, after being told by an undercover agent that his target had been kidnapped and was being held at a rural location in Kansas, Niebla-Machado traveled there with what he believed was his accomplice before being arrested by KBI agents upon arrival.
“Unfortunately, there are people in our country who view violence as a way of life and have no problem inflicting torture,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “After listening to the gruesome details of the torment Niebla-Machado planned for the kidnapping victim, it’s apparent that had he been speaking with a willing violent criminal rather than an undercover agent, this case would have likely ended in tragedy.”
The case was investigated by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trent Krug and Christopher Oakley prosecuted it.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas is responsible for advancing justice through federal law enforcement efforts across areas such as Kansas City while providing services including civil rights enforcement and support programs for victims according to its official website.
