Two of four Americans found dead after being kidnapped by armed gunmen in Mexico border town
MATAMOROS, MEXICO: Two of the four US citizens who were assaulted and kidnapped at gunpoint in Mexico on March 3 have been found dead, according to Mexican officials. One of the two people, who have been discovered alive, is severely hurt.
The four friends were traveling from South Carolina and they had crossed the border for medical treatment in a white minivan, and according to some sources, may have been caught in the crossfire between two opposing cartel groups.
READ MORE
After 30 years of hurt Nicola Payne's mother dies without finding out what happened to her daughter
10-year-old girl praised for incredible act of bravery after dad murdered her mom and little sister
'Two of them are dead'
Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villarreal Anaya confirmed in a phone call with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, which was played during a press conference on Tuesday, March 7. Tamaulipas Attorney General Irving Barrios wrote in a Tweet, “Unfortunately, two dead. Investigation and intelligence work continue to capture those responsible. Details will be given later.”
Derivado de las acciones de búsqueda conjunta, fueron encontrados los 4 ciudadanos estadunidenses privados de su libertad el viernes pasado. Lamentablemente dos sin vida. Continúan labores de investigación e inteligencia para la captura de los responsables.1-2
— Dr. Irving Barrios Mojica (@IrvingBarriosM) March 7, 2023
Latavia “Tay” Washington McGee, 33, drove to Mexico with Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown, and their friend Eric for a medical procedure, but she was never able to make it to the doctor’s appointment scheduled on Friday in Matamoros, her mother Barbara Burgess told CNN. Burgess claimed that the FBI notified her on Sunday that her daughter had been abducted and was in danger.
Washington McGee, a mother of six children, traveled to Mexico for medical treatment twice before, according to her mother. Burgess further cited her daughter's 'two- to three-year-old trip' to the nation for surgery as the reason behind the tour.
On Friday, they were caught in the crossfire of opposing cartel groups shortly after entering Mexico. Video footage showed them being loaded into the back of a pickup truck by gunmen.
“Of the four, two of them are dead, one person is wounded and the other is alive and right now the ambulances and the rest of the security personnel are going for them to give the corresponding support,” said Villarreal, as per reports.
Powerful Gulf drug cartels
Apparently, a Mexican cartel mistook them for Haitian drug smugglers. The US citizens have no concerning criminal history, investigators told an outlet.
Although the details are awaited, the Mexican officials as per the Washington Post, a Mexican woman also died in Friday’s crossfire. The outlet notes that terror has dominated Matamoros city for years. The factions of powerful Gulf drug cartels who often fight among themselves, are responsible for the chaos. In the ongoing violence, thousands have disappeared in Tamaulipas state alone.