Authorities reported four Americans missing last week in a suspected cartel kidnapping in Mexico. Police in both Mexico and America have worked tirelessly to get to the bottom of the kidnapping. This morning, CNN reported that it may have been a case of mistaken identity. Investigators believe that the members of the cartel felt as though the four individuals may have been smuggling drugs, leading to the kidnapping. They added that they didn’t believe the Americans had any criminal history.
Members of the kidnapped individuals said that Latavia “Tay” Washington McGee drove to Matamoros for a medical procedure, along with three other individuals: Zindell Brown, Shaeed Woodard and a man solely identified as Eric. FBI in San Antonio said they were shot at by gunmen once they crossed the border and were “placed into a vehicle and taken from the scene by armed men.” CNN obtained photos that revealed their car had crashed prior to the four Americans abduction.
2 Americans Found Dead In Mexico
American and Mexican authorities confirmed that two of the kidnapped Americans returned to the U.S. while the other two died. Tamaulipas state Gov. Américo Villarreal said that a man, identified as Eric, suffered a gunshot wound to the leg, and a woman, identified as LaTavia, was found unharmed. Both have returned to the U.S. through a bridge between Matamoros, Mexico and Brownsville, Texas. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said, “we are in the process of working to repatriate the remains of the two Americans who were killed in this incident.”
Police discovered the two survivors in a wooden house located at La Lagunona in Matamoros, Villarreal. They arrested one suspect, Jose N, who police said “was found guarding the victims.” He was subsequently arrested, though authorities haven’t clarified what charges he will face. Authorities also confirmed another casualty during the shootout. “[An] innocent Mexican citizen was tragically killed,” Ken Salazar, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, said in a statement. Attorney General Irving Barrios Mojica confirmed they are still investigating the matter with hopes to apprehend other suspects. We’ll keep you posted on anymore updates surrounding this tragic incident.
