Letter of apology from Mexican drug cartel found after killing Americans in Mexico

CIUDAD VICTORIA, Tamaulipas. Claimed to be from a Mexican drug cartel accused of kidnapping four Americans and killing two of them, the letter denounces the violence and says the gang has handed over its members to the authorities, who are responsible.

In a letter obtained by The Associated Press from a Tamaulipas law enforcement source, the Scorpion faction of the Gulf Cartel allegedly responsible for the kidnapping of Americans apologized to the residents of Matamoros, a Mexican woman who died in the shootout, and four Americans and their families.

Drug cartels have been known to issue communiqués to intimidate rivals and authorities, and sometimes to do some public relations work to try and smooth over situations that could affect their business.

“We made the decision to hand over those who were directly involved and responsible for the events, who always acted in accordance with their own decisions and lack of discipline,” the letter says, adding that these individuals went against the rules of the cartel. which include “respect for the life and welfare of the innocent”.

Attached to the letter was a photograph of five men lying face down on the sidewalk, tied up.

Government officials did not immediately publicly confirm that the new suspects were in custody.

CONNECTED: Friend warned police that Americans fear going missing in Mexico

Another state security official said five men were found tied up in one of the cars wanted by the authorities, along with a letter. The official also spoke on condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to speak on the case.

Last Friday, four Americans arrived in Matamoros from Texas to have one of them undergo cosmetic surgery. Around noon, they were shot at in the center of Matamoros and then loaded into a pickup truck.

Another friend who stayed in Brownsville called the police after failing to reach the group that crossed the border on Friday morning.

Brownsville Police Department spokesman Martin Sandoval said on Thursday that officers were following protocol while checking local hospitals and jails after receiving reports of missing people. A detective was assigned to the case within an hour and then alerted the FBI when he realized the people had moved to Mexico. Shortly thereafter, the FBI took on the case as videos of the shootout began surfacing on social media in which the victims matched the description of the missing persons.

Authorities found them Tuesday morning on the outskirts of the city, guarded by an arrested man. Two Americans were killed, one wounded and the other unharmed.

Also Thursday, the Tamaulipas State Attorney’s Office said it had seized an ambulance and a medical clinic in Matamoros that were allegedly used to treat Americans after the shooting.

The Americans told investigators they were taken to the clinic in an ambulance for first aid, the report said. After reviewing video from police surveillance cameras throughout the city, authorities were able to identify the ambulance and locate the clinic. According to the statement, no arrests were made in the clinic.