Van Hollen, Cardin Press Newly Minted U.S. Ambassador to Fight for Justice for Alex Villamayor, Marylander Slain in Paraguay

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.), as part of their continuing push to find justice for the killers of Marylander Alex Villamayor, met Monday with the recently confirmed U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay before he assumes his new post. The Senators met with Ambassador Lee McClenny, along with Kim Luk, Villamayor's aunt who still lives in Maryland.

"Our goal is to bring the full resources of the U.S. government to the aid of bringing Alex's killers to justice," said the Senators. "From FBI investigators to other specialists, there is much the United States has been willing to offer the Paraguayan government in this case. We expect Ambassador McClenny to be fully engaged in this process. Prior to assuming his diplomatic role in Paraguay, we wanted our ambassador to hear first-hand from Alex's family just what has been lost and what is at stake in this heart-breaking case."

In February, Van Hollen and Cardin introduced Senate Resolution 410, honoring the life of Marylander Alex Villamayor, who was killed in Paraguay in June 2015. The resolution commemorates Alex's promising young life, expresses profound concern for the lack of justice in this case, urges the Paraguayan government to accept FBI assistance for this case, renews the call for diplomatic pressure, and urges the Department of State to review how it treats cases where American citizens are slain or assaulted abroad.

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