4 Americans Shot and Kidnapped in Northern Mexico: FBI

MEXICO CITY (AP) – Four US citizens were abducted after gunmen opened fire on their car in the city of Matamoros in northern Mexico, the FBI said.

On Friday, the four drove into Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas, in a white minivan registered in North Carolina.

The San Antonio FBI office said in a statement Sunday that the vehicle came under fire shortly after it entered Mexico.

“All four Americans were loaded into a vehicle and taken away from the scene by armed men,” the bureau said in a statement. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for returning victims and apprehending perpetrators.

WE RECOMMEND: US issues maximum ‘no travel’ warning to Mexico ahead of spring break

Matamoros is home to warring factions of the Gulf drug cartel, and Friday’s shooting was so horrific that the US consulate issued a danger alert and local authorities warned people to take cover. It wasn’t immediately clear how the kidnappings could be linked to Friday’s violence.

Tamaulipas State Police said people were killed and injured on Friday, but did not say how many. The state police said that neither the police nor the military were involved in Friday’s shooting.

“There were two armed incidents between unidentified civilians,” the state police said Friday on social media. “The exact number of casualties has been confirmed.”

WE RECOMMEND: Autopsy of Orange County Attorney found dead in Mexico released

The victims of the violence in Matamoros and other major Tamaulipas border towns are often countless because the cartels have a history that includes their own bodies. Local media often avoid reporting on such incidents for security reasons, creating an information vacuum.

Videos posted to social media on Friday show gunmen loading two bodies into a truck in broad daylight.

The U.S. Department of State Travel Advice for Tamaulipas warns U.S. citizens against traveling there. However, as a border city, US citizens living in Brownsville or elsewhere in Texas often cross the border to visit family, attend medical appointments, or shop. It will also be a waypoint for people traveling further into Mexico.

For years, late-night entertainment in Matamoros has also been part of the “two-nation vacation” spring break that flocked to Texas’ South Padre Island. But the increase in violence over the past 10-15 years has scared away much of this business.

The FBI said the van the victims were traveling in on Friday had North Carolina license plates, but authorities did not provide any other details about who they were or where they came from.

Thanks for reading Dallas Press News

Content and Photo credit go to Texas Standard

Read the full article on Texas Standard News

Related Articles

Back to top button