SINALOA, MEXICO - JANUARY 07: Elements of the National Guard monitor and protect the perimeter of the Aguaruto Prison in Culiacan, where on the afternoon of January 5 there was a massive escape attempt during confrontations between hitmen from the Cartel de Sinaloa against elements of the National Defense Secretariat in Sinaloa, Mexico on January 07, 2023. (Photo by Jesus Verdugo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
