Brother Of Man Killed In Botched FBI Raid Seeks Custody Of Nephew

CONROE, TX — The uncle of a 12-year old boy whose father was killed during a botched FBI raid last week is seeking custody of the boy from Child Protective Services.

Ernesto Valladares shared a home with his brother, Ulises Valladares and his 12-year son in 1700 block of Tyler Lane in Conroe.

He wasn’t home when Nicholas Cunningham and Jimmy Sanchez forced their way into the home on Jan. 24, duct taped his brother and nephew while ransacking the home in search of cash, before ultimately kidnapping Ulises Valladares.

He has no idea who the men are, and why they believe he owed them anything.

READ:

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• FBI Agent Kills Kidnapping Victim During Raid

In the days since his brother was shot to death during a botched FBI raid on the Houston home where he was being held hostage, Ernesto Valladares doesn’t have any answers to the tough questions.

He has no idea where his brother’s body was taken, he doesn’t know where his nephew taken by CPS, and he hasn’t heard anything from federal officials about how his brother was mistakenly gunned down.

"I feel heartbroken, because my brother is gone. He's dead, and now, I'm all he has," Ernesto Valladares told KHOU.

Ulises Valladares was a widower, having lost his wife to cancer in 2015, and now the 12-year old boy in CPS custody is an orphan.

The family has hired an attorney to help bring the boy home.

“I could only imagine what this child is going through. He is having to repeat the grieving process. His mother passed away. Now his father passed away and the FBI came in, basically made him an orphan,” attorney Douglas York told KPRC.

A custody hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 6.

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