A South Florida family is begging the federal government to help them find their son, a soldier, who disappeared on a trip to Ecuador.
While on leave after serving in the Middle East in November 2010, Cesar Velez, 29, took a vacation to Ecuador to visit his father and his mother's family.
On Nov. 17, Velez and his father vanished. The last image believed to be the two men was a shot of them in the father's pickup truck driving through an intersection in Guayaquil. Family members said it looked like the two were tied up and lying on the back of the truck.
Immediately, Velez's family started looking for him and asking for help. His mother, Maria Rosario Garcia went to the FBI, the Army and her local congressman's office. She even wrote a letter to President Obama. She feels no one has made his disappearance the priority it should be.
Velez's sister, Rosy Garcia told Local 10's Neki Mohan that her mother wants the Army to at least do something.
"He spent the whole year in Baghdad risking his life for this country and for them not to do anything is breaking her heart," Rosy Garcia said.
The State Department released this statement after Local 10 contacted them on Garcia's behalf:
“Our Consulate General in Guayaquil is monitoring the case closely and continues to provide all appropriate consular services to the family in their efforts to resolve this case. Due to privacy considerations we are unable to comment on the specifics of this case.”
Velez's mother has quit her job and sold her car so she can go to Ecuador to help search for her son. She has already been there five times. Her other son now lives there full time, looking for his brother. They say they need help bringing him home.
Rosy Garcia said many have speculated that her brother's disappearance is actually a defection from the Army.
"A lot of people ask since he was in the Army due to go back into deployment, is it that he didn't want to go back. To me that's not it; my brother was a soldier."
The family has set up a website, helpusfindcesarvelez.com, for anyone who wants to help their cause.