A harrowing plot of the movie Taken turned into reality for a Californian man who’s daughter took off on a bike one afternoon and never came home. Living in a quiet neighborhood where violent crime is hard to come by, Bryce Weiner could have never predicted that he would have to rescue his teenage daughter from sex traffickers.
Weiner’s story began in August of 2010, spanning over three years of dedication. His 14-year-old daughter was manipulated by an individual into crossing the Mexican border and revoked all of her access to cellular devices. She ended up 3,000 miles away from the border and couldn’t go outside or have any money. The 14-year-old suffered beatings and psychological abuse while she was in Mexico.
Even though the circumstances were urgent, the authorities were not of any help due to the fact that she was not taken “strictly against her will.” Her case was categorized as an “endangered runaway” rather than a kidnapping.
For three years, all of Weiner’s questions were left unanswered. The lack of investigative efforts from The State Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and California Highway Patrol forced Weiner to take matters into his own hand. He used 150 Bitcoins that he mined in 2011 to fund rescue efforts while his peers were funding startups and investments.
The determined father drove 5,000 miles from Los Angeles to Coyotepec, Mexico. A journey that was projected to take 31 hours ended up taking an entire week due to rough terrain, customs, and multiple trips in and out of the Sinaloa Cartel Country. “I had to become someone else,” he said. He pretended to be a deaf beggar in order to deter attention.
Days before Weiner’s daughter escaped in the middle of the night, she had no knowledge that her father was in Mexico, looking for her. They had prior contact through email, but she was under the assumption that he was still in California. She ran barefoot to the U.S. embassy and finally reunited with her father after three long years.
“To all those who gave up, walked away, told me I should be ashamed, told me I was crazy, turned their back, or told me it was impossible… You were wrong.”
Bryce Weiner captioned in a Facebook picture of his reunion with his daughter
10 years after reuniting with his missing daughter, Bryce is certain in his belief that sometimes you have to do whatever it takes to bring your child to safety. He has since launched his own cryptocurrency to help better other people’s lives and continues to be an affluent image in the blockchain space.
Weiner’s story of bringing his daughter to safety is a heartwarming and inspiring one. He plans to release a book to narrate the blood, sweat, and tears he had to go through to get his daughter back. The uncensored information will be able to shine a light on the truth behind trafficking, something him and his daughter faced firsthand.