Four American citizens kidnapped in Mexico

OAN Geraldyn Berry
11:15 AM PT – Monday, March 6, 2023

After being attacked and kidnapped in Mexico by unknown armed men, four American citizens have gone missing.

Four Americans entered Matamoros in Tamaulipas on March 3, 2015, riding in white vans with North Carolina plates. The four individuals crossed into Mexico in a white minivan with North Carolina plates. Unidentified gunmen opened fire shortly afterwards. The FBI stated that the FBI had confirmed that the Americans were taken into custody. “herded into another car and fled the area with them.”

Ambassador of the United States to Mexico Ken Salazar has stated that the incident left one Mexican citizen deceased.

On Monday, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador held press conference affirming that the Americans did not cross the border for any criminal purpose but to buy medicine.

“They are people from the United States who crossed the border to buy medicines and there was a confrontation between groups. The matter is looked into. I think it will be resolved,” López Obrador said.

U.S. top officials are unable to confirm the Mexican president’s statements or the identities of kidnapped people.

Tamaulipas is situated across the border from Brownsville in Texas. It’s one of six Mexican states that the U.S. State Department has announced a. “Level 4: Do Not Travel” Travellers should be aware of the following: “crime and kidnapping”.

The State Department says organized crime is a serious problem. “including gun battles, murder, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, forced disappearances, extortion, and sexual assault – is common along the northern border,” Also in Tamaulipas.

“Criminal groups target public and private passenger buses, as well as private automobiles traveling through Tamaulipas, often taking passengers and demanding ransom payments,” These are the warning signs.

FBI wants the public to help it identify those who are responsible for assaulting and kidnapping. They offer a $50,000 reward for victims’ return and arrest.

According to officials, the FBI, federal partners, and Mexican law enforcement agencies investigations are still ongoing.

“Officials from various U.S. law enforcement agencies are working with Mexican authorities at all levels of government to achieve the safe return of our compatriots.”

The incident highlights the ongoing violence in some Mexican cities, which have been wracked by organized crime at least since the Mexican Drug War began in 2006.