Mexico Mormon massacre: Victims of drug cartel attack were taken out of the car and shot at point-blank range
The victims of the Mexico drug cartel attack were shot at point-blank range, an official has revealed to the New York Post. “They were taken out of their cars and shot,” an American federal investigator said, “It’s kind of disturbing that the FBI has had no access to the crime scene, which is probably a disaster already because the Mexicans have allowed families to remove the bodies. Any evidence that could have been gathered is probably destroyed.”
Mexican authorities have not allowed American officials to investigate the crime. They are still looking for evidence at the crime scene at Sonora near Arizona border. The account by the American investigator counters what the Mexican authorities said about the incident being a result of a mix-up with another gang vehicle. Army chief of staff Hector Mendoza told a press conference that it was not a targeted attack, earlier.
According to the Post's sources, the officials were trying to cover up the true targets of the attack. “We’ve been saying all along that the Mexican government just doesn’t want to investigate anything related to drug trafficking,” said the American federal source, “They will go to any extreme to cover everything up,” said the US source. “It’s completely corrupt, and it’s only going to get worse.”
An FBI spokesperson told the news outlet in a statement that they were offering to assist with the investigation. "The FBI continues to engage with our US government and Mexican law enforcement partners. We have offered assistance and stand ready to assist in the wake of this tragedy," they said.
Mexican security minister Alfonso Durazo had said at a press conference earlier that the cars "could have been confused by the criminal groups that are fighting in the region."
Nine Americans were killed in the brutal shooting, including three women and six children.
The victims were from a small Mormon community, an offshoot of the Mormon church in Utah, at the Mexico border and had been traveling in three SUVs. Drug cartel gunmen ambushed the vehicles along a dirt road and the attack caused one vehicle's gas tank to explode, burning the car.
The United States President Donald Trump has also extended his help to Mexico to fight the cartels. However, his offer was politely declined by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López, who did say that he would reach out to Trump if needed help.