South
American kidnapped in Mexico, left to die in jungle with eyes, wrists taped
A New York man living in Mexico is lucky to be alive after several men abducted him and held him for a $200,000 ransom.
The kidnappers taped Joseph Constantine Buonincontri’s eyes shut and bound him by his wrists and ankles, and left him deep in a jungle in Limones, Mexico, a remote area about 200 miles southwest of Cancun.
Locals tipped off the police about armed men driving a taxi from Tulum, a popular resort area, into the secluded wilderness, which sparked a rescue mission by the Mexican military and the Mexican National Guard.
The 35-year-old New Yorker was alive, but tied up in a straw hut, according to the Quintana Roo Attorney General’s Office, which said authorities recovered a backpack with marijuana, a tactical vest and loaded magazines for an AR-15.
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Joseph Constantine Buonincontri, 35, was abducted by unknown men and left in the Mexican jungle with eyes taped, according to a prosecutor in Mexico. (Mexican Army)
The kidnappers have not been identified or caught since Buonincontri was found on Feb. 4 and was unharmed, according to local Mexican news outlets and the prosecutor’s office.
A 1.5-minute video of the rescue published on borderlandbeat.com showed the moment authorities found Buonincontri. The website translated the conversation.
A soldier asked twice if he was OK and if he was hungry or thirsty.
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Buonincontri reportedly responded by asking for a cigarette and to take the tape off his eyes.
“We’ve already called the authorities. Agents from the Public Prosecutors Office and the Attorney General’s Office are going to arrive and remove that blindfold from your eyes,” the soldier reportedly said, according to the translation by borderlandbeat.com.
“But are you OK? We’re soldiers from the Mexican Army. We belong to the 7th Motorized Cavalry Regiment. And we’ve come here to give you aid.”
The Mexican Army and Mexican National Guard, along with local police and investigators from the prosecutor’s office, rescued Joseph Constantine Buonincontri from a remote Mexican jungle after he was abducted. (Mexican Army)
During the conversation, Buonincontri reportedly told the soldiers that he was from New York and visiting a family member in Limones.
The soldier asked him if he remembered what happened and when he was kidnapped.
“No, I can’t recall the day,” Buonincontri reportedly said, according to borderlandnews.com’s translation. “I don’t even know what day this is.”
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That was where the video ends.
The Fiscalía General del Estado de Quintana Roo, the local prosecutor’s office, released a statement on X saying he was found alive and thanked the Mexican Army, National Guard and local police.
Virginia
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly from Virginia Tech’s 95-89 Loss to Wake Forest
Virginia Tech’s ACC Tournament run ended in heartbreaking fashion Tuesday night in Charlotte, as the Hokies fell to Wake Forest 95-89 in overtime. It was a game full of swings. Virginia Tech erased deficits, battled back repeatedly and forced overtime, but couldn’t make enough plays in the extra period.
Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the game.
The Good: Rebounding dominance and a resilient fight
Virginia Tech did plenty of things well in this game, especially on the boards.
The Hokies outrebounded Wake Forest 45-28, including 21 offensive rebounds, which created 20 second-chance points and repeatedly extended possessions. That advantage helped Virginia Tech stay within striking distance even when the offense stalled.
Head coach Mike Young pointed to the rebounding margin as one of the more frustrating parts of the loss.
“You outrebound somebody 45 to 26 or whatever that is,” Young said. “You’re supposed to win the game. Unfortunately, we did not.”
Several Hokies contributed to that effort. Forward Tobi Lawal led the team with nine rebounds. Centers Christian Gurdak and Antonio Dorn combined for 15 rebounds, with Dorn seeing extended minutes after Amani Hansberry was sidelined with an injury he suffered against Virginia.
Virginia Tech showed its usual resilience. The Hokies erased multiple deficits throughout the game and were able to force overtime in a game where Wake Forest led for almost 36 minutes.
Young praised the fight his team showed throughout the night.
“It’s been a characteristic of this team throughout,” said Young. “They’ve got a lot to them, and great kids to coach.”
The Bad: A quiet night for Neoklis Avdalas
Virginia Tech needed contributions across the lineup in a tight postseason game, but Neoklis Avdalas struggled to make an impact.
Avdalas finished with five points, shooting 2-for-8 from the field. The Hokies’ assist leader was unable to record an assist against the Demon Deacons. He played 31 minutes before spending the final 7:37 of the second half and all of overtime on the bench.
Young confirmed the decision was performance-based.
“I just thought [Jaden Schutt and Jailen Bedford] were playing better than Neo, so that is how it went,” said Young.
Schutt played his most minutes in a game (29) since late January. He shot 3-for-7 from three and made all six of his free throws, ending the night with 15 points.
This game stands in stark contrast to Avdalas’ previous showing against Wake Forest. In that game from Feb. 21, Avdalas scored 17 points, shooting 6-for-14 from the field. He also recorded eight assists and three rebounds that game.
The Ugly: Turnovers early and execution in overtime
THe biggest issue for Virginia Tech came in two stretches: the early turnovers and in overtime.
The Hokies committed 10 turnovers in the first half, allowing Wake Forest to control the pace despite Virginia Tech’s 25-11 first-half rebounding advantage. Off those 10 first-half turnovers, Wake Forest scored 11 points.
“We had some terrible, terrible turnovers,” said Young.
Although Virginia Tech cleaned that up in the second half, only committing three turnovers for the remainder of the game, the early miscues forced the Hokies to play from behind most of the night.
After battling abck all night, overtime is where the Hokies ran out of answers.
Wake Forest quickly seized momentum in the extra period. Guard Myles Colvin gave the Demon Deacons a five-point advantage less than a minute into overtime, making a floater and a three.
The Hokies struggled to generate offense in overtime while Wake Forest capitalized repeatedly at the free-throw line. When Virginia Tech was forced to foul down late, Wake Forest did not allow any chance of a comeback, making all nine of its free throws in overtime.
“They were hitting shots,” Ben Hammond said. “Their point guard had the game of his life today.”
In the end, Wake Forest made the plays Virginia Tech could not.
West Virginia
W.Va. lawmakers push through multiple bills as Saturday deadline nears
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) – West Virginia lawmakers continued working as the Saturday midnight deadline approaches.
Senate Action
The Senate passed 12 bills, including one requiring adult content websites to use age verification to block minors. Senators also passed a bill creating a Cold Case Task Force.
House Bill 49-90, targeting gift card crimes, and House Bill 54-37, the Vape Safety Act, also passed unanimously. All four bills now go to the House for concurrence.
Delegates passed Alyssa’s Law, allowing teachers to wear mobile alert buttons that notify 9-1-1 and trigger a school lockdown in emergencies. The bill is named after a victim of the 2018 Parkland shooting.
Bill 4005, which clarifies jobs prohibited for workers under 16 — including bar work and logging — also passed. Both bills now head to Governor Patrick Morrisey’s desk.
Senate Bill 4 would require bystanders to stay at least 30 feet from first responders.
Senate Bill 75 would allow West Virginia law enforcement to cooperate with officers in bordering states. A bill from the Education Committee would allow teachers with at least 15 years of experience to become certified as school principals.
For more legislative coverage, go to our website at wdtv.com.
Copyright 2026 WDTV. All rights reserved.
Dallas, TX
Maxx Crosby-Ravens Trade Dead, Opening Perfect Cowboys Opportunity
Dallas Cowboys Nation’s hopes of landing superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby were dashed last weekend when it was announced that he was being traded to the Baltimore Ravens. However, less than 24 hours before the new year, the trade has fallen apart.
On Tuesday night, the Las Vegas Raiders announced that the Ravens have backed out of the trade.
“The Baltimore Ravens have backed out of our trade agreement for Maxx Crosby,” the statement read. “We will have no further comment at this time.”
The news sends a major ripple for the league, with the Crosby sweepstakes once again open. Before his trade to the Ravens, the Cowboys were considered one of the teams closely monitoring the situation and a team that made a legitimate offer for Crosby.
At this time, there is no word on why the trade between Las Vegas and Baltimore fell through. When the trade was first reported, the Raiders were set to receive a 2026 and 2027 first-round pick from the Ravens.
Now, his future is in limbo. Before he was traded to the Ravens, it was believed that the Cowboys, Chicago Bears, and Los Angeles Rams were the top candidates to land him. In fact, the Cowboys were “considered runner-ups” in the sweepstakes.
Dallas’ Original Trade Offer
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Cowboys initially offered the No. 12 overall pick in the 2026 draft, a 2027 second-round pick, and an unnamed veteran player.
“Dallas kept a hard line throughout. The franchise wasn’t willing to part with two first-round picks, hoping its 12th pick in April’s draft, plus a future second-rounder, would be enough to entice Las Vegas. Dallas was also willing to package a veteran player to sweeten the deal, but Vegas wasn’t interested in that. The Raiders prioritized picks,” Fowler wrote.
Last season, Crosby recorded 73 total tackles, 28 tackles for a loss, 20 quarterback hits, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception.
We’ll have to see if Dallas ends up being his new home, now that the team has a second chance to make something special happen, but there will be some serious competition. The 2026 NFL calendar year officially begins on Wednesday, March 11, at 4:00 p.m. ET.
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