Abducted Canadian boys found slain in Venezuela

Venezuelan found the bullet-ridden bodies of three Canadian boys who had been kidnapped more than a month ago, the justice minister said.

The bodies of 17-year-old John Faddoul, along with his brothers Kevin, 13, and Jason, 12, were found on Tuesday afternoon near an electrical tower in Yare, about 50km west of Caracas, Justice Minister Jesse Chacon said.

The body of the boy's driver, 30-year-old Miguel Ribas, also was found with them, Chacon said.

"We lament, despite the efforts that were made 24 hours a day since this started, we have not been able to prevent this abominable homicide," Chacon said. "The three boys were identified by a relative."

Police said the brothers were abducted Feb. 23 when unidentified men dressed as police stopped their car at a roadside checkpoint in Caracas as the boys were on their way to school.

Authorities not ruled out the possibility that the kidnappers could in fact be police officers.

Officials not revealed exactly how much in ransom the kidnappers demanded, but they have said it was more than US$4.5 million -- a figure circulated in the Venezuelan media.

A lawyer for the boys' family, Santiago Georges, said recently that the family was not in a position to pay the sum demanded by the kidnappers.

The boys' parents were both born in Lebanon, and their father John Faddoul, is a naturalized Canadian who has been a businessman in Venezuela for more than 20 years.

The victims were found with gunshot wounds in the head and neck area, and it appeared they had been executed at least two days before their bodies were found, judicial police chief Marco Chavez said on state television.

"We're certain that the evidence and the advancements already made in the investigation will allow us to conclude this investigation," Chacon said.

Relatives, friends and classmates of three boys have held vigils and demonstrations in the streets to call for their release.

The killings come just days after a prominent Italian-born businessman, 74-year-old Filippo Sindoni, was abducted and killed.