Kidnapping of Americans in Mexico, 2 killed 2 still alive
A Mexican official says two American citizens missing since they were kidnapped last Friday in a violent rampage in the northern city of Matamoras have been found dead and two others are still alive.
The governor of Tmaulipas state, Américo Villarreal, said Tuesday that one of the two surviving American citizens was wounded. The FBI announced Sunday that it was working with Mexican authorities to search for the missing individuals.
“Two were killed, one individual was injured and another is alive. Currently, the ambulance and the security bodies are going to provide the relevant assistance,” said Mr. Villarreal. The governor did not provide further details on the whereabouts of the Americans. He is expected to appear at a press conference later on Tuesday.
The US citizens were found in a rural area called Ejido Longorno along the road leading to the local beach Playa Baghdat, according to a government official who asked to remain anonymous.
A relative of one of the individuals said the four Americans had traveled from South Carolina to undergo surgery by a doctor in the city of Matamoros.
Shortly after entering Mexico on Friday, they came under gunfire from rival drug cartel groups. Footage shows the moment when armed individuals force the Americans into a car.
Mexican officials said a woman, a bystander, was killed during the exchange of gunfire.
The incident is an example of the terror that has dominated the city of Matamoros for years, dominated by powerful drug cartels, which often fight among themselves. In the state of Tamaulipas alone, thousands of Mexicans have disappeared as a result of violence between drug cartels.
