Texas Brothers Charged in Minnesota Crypto Kidnapping

Federal prosecutors say Texas brothers Raymond Christian Garcia, 23, and Isiah Angelo Garcia, 24, allegedly held a Grant, Minnesota, family at gunpoint for nine hours on Sept. 19, forcing the father to log into cryptocurrency accounts and driving him about three hours to a family cabin to retrieve a hard‑drive‑style wallet while armed with an AR‑15‑style rifle and a shotgun and zip‑tying victims. The DOJ and FBI allege roughly $8 million in cryptocurrency was transferred to wallets controlled by the suspects, though local charging documents reported two transfers of about $36,000 each (roughly $72,000), reflecting a discrepancy in reported amounts. Investigators traced the suspects using surveillance footage, a Wendy’s receipt and rental‑car records, recovered a suitcase containing a disassembled rifle and other items near the scene, and arrested the brothers in Waller, Texas, on Sept. 22; Isiah reportedly confessed after arrest. They face federal kidnapping charges and state counts including kidnapping with a firearm, aggravated robbery and first‑degree burglary. Authorities say the suspects frequently consulted an unidentified third party and that the investigation into additional co‑conspirators is ongoing; the incident prompted shelter‑in‑place responses and the cancellation of a local homecoming football game during the search.