PHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 Three young girls kidnapped by their father and taken across the Southern border into Mexico three years ago are finally back home in Phoenix with their mom.<\/p>\n
The international rescue was made possible by a relentless mom and the tireless efforts of a Phoenix nonprofit that specializes in this kind of situation.<\/p>\n
Cellphone video captured the moment Luz Calera finally held her daughters again last week after three long years apart.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt like my heart was going to explode. I couldn\u2019t believe that I was hugging them and looking at them,\u201d Calera said tearfully.<\/p>\n
For years, authorities searched, Arizona judges issued orders and Mexico issued warrants. But still, the girls\u2019 father kept them hidden. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was my strength and faith in God that kept me strong, knowing that one day I would get them back,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Defenders of Children<\/a> provides legal help for families dealing with abuse, neglect and custody battles. They step in when children\u2019s safety is at risk. <\/p>\n \u201cI had dealt with parental kidnappings before and parental kidnappings to other states, but I never had one where the parent fled with the children to another country,\u201d explained Shannon Brien, the managing attorney for the nonprofit.<\/p>\n The breakthrough came just months ago, when the girls were spotted in Sonora, Mexico<\/a>. Brien said the sighting set off a cross-border rescue. <\/p>\n \u201cThat adds a whole layer of complexity that was really kind of difficult and challenging to navigate. And it\u2019s a whole other world when you get into the jurisdictional issues associated with foreign countries,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were working nights and mornings on it,\u201d said Esperanza Mondragon, who also worked on the case. <\/p>\n Mondragon said it all came down to getting help from the U.S. State Department, the FBI, and Mexican child welfare officials. \u201cIt was a lot of endless calling. Ultimately, we were all able to work together and come up with a plan,\u201d she shared.<\/p>\n This case is just one example of the mission taken on by Defenders of Children. \u201cWe don\u2019t give up. We fight for justice and especially for families who most of the time won\u2019t see that justice by themselves,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n After being isolated and cut off from the world for three years, the girls, now 8, 11 and 15 years old, were reunited with their mom in Ajo, Arizona. \u201cIt was something very incredible to see,\u201d Mondragon described.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s like a dream. I still feel sometimes like it\u2019s not true and I\u2019m stuck in a nightmare where I still don\u2019t have them because it was three years that I had to live without my three girls,\u201d Calera said, weeping.<\/p>\n Advocates say this rescue shows what\u2019s possible when local advocates, federal agents and Mexican officials all work together. For Calera, it means her family is finally whole again.<\/p>\n If you find yourself in a situation where you feel you need help, visit Defenders of Children<\/a>.<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n