Major leaguer Ramos rescued in Venezuela

Wilson Ramos was kidnapped two days after he was kidnapped, officials announced.Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami said on state television that Ramos was safe and sound and that he was rescued by police. He said the circumstances werent immediately clear.Information Minister Andres Izarra initially reported the rescue via Twitter, saying Ramos was found alive by security forces in mountainous zone.Izarra said it was a rescue operation by air, which was authorized earlier in the day by President Hugo Chavez. Ramos free said one message on Izarras account.Ramos mother celebrated, exclaiming on television: Thanks to God Thanks to my country, to my neighbors and to my family, who were supporting us, she said.Armed men seized Ramos at gunpoint Wednesday night outside his home in a working-class neighborhood in the city of Valencia. Authorities said Thursday that they had found a stolen SUV used by the kidnappers abandoned in a nearby town.Major League Baseball officials said it was the first kidnapping of a major leaguer that they could recall.Polls consistently say rampant crime is the top worry of Venezuelans. The country has one of the highest murder rates in Latin America, and the vast majority of crimes go unsolved. The number of kidnappings has soared in recent years.Fans in both Venezuela and Washington had held candlelight vigils and prayed for his safe release.