Two of the four American citizens who were kidnapped in Mexico have been found deceased, while the other two are reportedly safe in police custody.
As we previously reported, four American citizens were kidnapped by men in Matamaros, a Mexican town just across the border from Brownsville, Texas.
Group Of Americans Had Travelled To Mexico For One Of Them To Get Cosmetic Surgery
Zindell Brown, Eric James Williams, Latavia McGee and Shaeed Woodward reportedly traveled from South Carolina to Mexico for McGee to undergo a tummy tuck cosmetic surgery, according to News Nation Now.
Unfortunately while making the journey, the four were approached by men in armed gear, and taken on the back of a truck.
It is unclear which two of the four citizens are deceased at this time.One of the surviving Americans was reported to be injured, however their condition wasn’t immediately known as of Tuesday.
Group Of Americans Likely Were Unaware They Crossed Into Such Dangerous Territory, Official Says
Former State Department advisor Nayyera Haq said the group most likely wasn’t aware they were traveling to a such dangerous area that’s under the control of drug cartels.
“The majority of Mexico is actually in the control of cartels. The government does not control all the territory there. In fact, the government of Mexico for decades has been complicit in ceding control,” she told NewsNation.
The group was unwittingly caught in the middle of gunfire between two rival cartel groups, the outlet reports. A disturbing video clip released Monday shows them being forced into the back of a pickup truck by gunmen.
RELATED: WATCH: Four Americans Kidnapped At Gunpoint On Video In Mexico Following Shootout
Just the usual dragging of bodies after a cartel shootout in broad daylight, today in Matamoros.#Mexico #Narcostate #FailedState pic.twitter.com/bfWwNgjBcB
— David Wolf (@DavidWolf777) March 4, 2023
U.S. State Department Had Warned Citizens Not To Travel To Tamaulipas Due To Cartel Violence
Mexican officials said a Mexican woman also died in the crossfire. The four Americans had traveled into Mexico from Texas in a vehicle with North Carolina license plates.
The State Department had previously warned U.S. citizens not to travel to Tamaulipas, however many Americans who live in across the border in Texas frequently cross country lines to visit family and attend medical appointments.
The area is also a well-known crossing point for people traveling deeper into Mexico, according to the outlet.
Haq did not understate the severity of the situation in terms of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Mexico, calling the kidnappings and deaths “an enormous deal.”
“The death of a U.S. citizen at the hands of a cartel is an enormous deal. This is the phones are ringing off the hook at this point,” Haq said.
Latavia “Tay” McGee, Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown, and Eric James Williams have been identified as the four Americans who traveled for a cosmetic medical procedure to the Mexican border city of Matamoros, where they were abducted.
(📷: Facebook)
https://t.co/edJgpnfDkY pic.twitter.com/jMbGHzRcSw— WGCI (@WGCI) March 7, 2023
FBI Offering $50,000 For Arrest Of Kidnappers, Safe Return Of Two Surviving Americans
Some lawmakers are even calling for military action against the cartels.
“There are a lot of other tools that come before that, as they say, lots of tools in the national security toolbox, including sanctions, including extraditions, including targeted operations,” Haq warned.
The State Department has travel advisories for 30 of Mexico’s 32 states, with Tamaulipas – the area where the kidnappings occurred – included on the do not travel list due to widespread violent crime.
Meanwhile, the FBI field office in San Antonio has offered a $50,000 reward for their recovery and the arrests of the kidnappers.
