The search for abducted Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos continues at this hour, with authorities having found the car used to abduct him and stating that they believe Ramos to be alive.

The kidnappers — reportedly four armed men who accosted Ramos while he was spending time with his family — have still not yet made contact with Ramos’ family, nearly 12 hours after the abduction. Despite having been initially buried by all the hoopla at Penn State, the story is a wide-reaching one: many baseball players go to Venezuela during the winter. And while the country’s kidnapping crisis has touched a number of players’ families, this is the first time it has extended to a Major League player:

Police last year said that 618 kidnappings were reported in 2009, and the numbers have grown rapidly in recent years. In 1998, when President Hugo Chavez was elected, just 52 kidnappings were reported. Security experts say the real number of kidnappings today is much higher because many cases aren’t reported to authorities.

The wealthy in Venezuela have taken steps to protect themselves; sales of armored cars have soared in the past several years. Bodyguards also typically shadow Major League Baseball players when they return to their homeland to play in the winter league.

“Every Major League player has his own security, but we don’t know if at that time he had his security there,” Alvarez said. He said it’s the first time a Major League player has been abducted in the country, though other players’ relatives have been held for ransom in the past.

The incident already has other teams considering making changes to the policy of allowing players to play in the Venezuelan winter league. The Nationals have not yet commented on whether they will allow their players to continue playing there. This afternoon, the Nationals released the following statement regarding Ramos’ kidnapping:

“Our foremost concern is with Wilson Ramos and his family and our thoughts are with them at this time. Major League Baseball’s Department of Investigations is working with the appropriate authorities on this matter. Both Major League Baseball and the Washington Nationals have been instructed to make no further comment.”