FBI agent shoots dead kidnap victim during raid intended to rescue him

'Whether it was accidental or not, the man is not going home to his family'

The seal of the FBI in the Flag Room at the bureau's headquarters (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

An FBI agent shot dead a bound kidnap victim during a raid intended to rescue the man.

The victim, who has not been named, was abducted from his home in the Texan town of Conroe, a small city around 40 miles north of Houston, the agency said.

His 12-year-old son called the police, who in turn alerted the FBI. The man’s brother also contacted authorities after receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be with a cartel and demanding a ransom, The Houston Chronicle reported.

An FBI spokesperson said the man was fatally wounded during an “operation” at a property. Although he was rushed to a nearby hospital, he later died.

"The system failed. Whether it was accidental or not, the man is not going home to his family," Conroe police chief Philip Dupuis said.

FBI agents tracked mobile phone signals to a motel near Houston, where two male suspects were found.

The men directed agents to a house in Trinity Gardens, where another female suspect was with the hostage. Children were also reportedly at the property.

FBI spokesperson Christina Garza said the agent who shot the victim had been placed on administrative leave.

It is unclear what led to the gunfire.

Two men and one woman are charged with aggravated kidnapping, police said. The men also are charged with aggravated robbery.

Additional reporting by AP