Mexico kidnapping — live: Americans seized by drug cartel asked for directions before deadly Matamoros attack

Two Americans were found dead and two others alive after they were kidnapped in Matamoros, Mexico, in what officials have described as a drug cartel attack captured on video

The group - identified by family as Latavia “Tay” McGee, Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown and Eric James Williams - were attacked on 3 March shortly after entering Matamoros, an area dominated by the Gulf cartel.

Video showed the group being thrown into a truck by armed men in broad daylight after a shootout. Authorities confirmed on Tuesday that the group had been found.

Ms McGee and Mr Williams were rescued alive and have since been returned to the US. Mr Woodard and Mr Brown were killed.

Ms McGee’s mother previously revealed the group had travelled to Mexico so her daughter could undergo a tummy tuck procedure.

US officials have vowed to secure justice for the victims, as White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and US Attorney General Merrick Garland pointed blame at drug cartels. At least one suspect has been arrested, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said.

Key Points

• Four Americans kidnapped at gunpoint in Tamaulipas on Friday

• FBI appeals for public’s help in identifying assailants

• Video of violence in Matamoros emerges

• Americans crossed border to buy medicine, Mexican president says

• Innocent Mexican citizen killed in incident

Suspect arrested in death of Mexico ‘tummy tuck’ tourists

02:00 , Andrea Blanco

Governor of Tamaulipas Américo Villarreal said during a press conference that the group was moved from different locations, including a clinic, during the three days that their kidnapping lasted in an attempt to throw off investigators.

Mr Villareal said that the “Clan del Golfo” is the cartel known to operate and control the area. Tamaulipas Attorney General Irving Barrios Mojica also said that Mexican officials believe members of the Gulf drug cartel are behind the attack.

A suspect, 24-year-old Jose “N,” has been arrested. The man was tasked with making sure the victims didn’t escape during the three-day kidnapping and he was captured at the scene on Tuesday, Mr Villareal said.

01:35 , Graeme Massie

The group of Americans kidnapped in Mexico had asked a doctor’s office for directions before being ambushed.

“When I reached out to the doctor’s office they told me that Latavia had reached out to them to ask them for directions because she was lost,” an unnamed friend told CNN.

“They sent me a screenshot of the messages and they said they sent her the address and asked her if she was using a GPS.”

Survivor’s mother says she warned daughter about dangerous trip

01:00 , Andrea Blanco

Surviving kidnapping victim LaTavia McGee’s mother Barbara Burgess said she was worried about her daughter going and warned her it might not be safe. But, her daughter brushed off her concerns telling her: “Ma, I’ll be okay”.

Ms Burgess last heard from Ms McGee on Friday when she called to say that they were just 15 minutes from the cosmetic surgeon’s office where she was scheduled to have the procedure that day. She never heard from her daughter again.

Ms Burgess said she tried calling Ms McGee later that day but her phone went straight to voicemail.

Not long later, she said she received a visit from an FBI agent, revealing what had happened.

Ms McGee and Erick James Williams survived the attack, while Shaeed Woodard Zindell Brown and were killed

NSC coordinator John Kirby decries killing of Americans in Matamoros

00:00 , Andrea Blanco

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby also decried the attack on the American citizens and vowed to get justice for their families.

“We appreciate the hard work of the Justice Department the FBI and the DEA and the Department of Homeland Security … we’re grateful for their swift response to this dreadful incident and for their continued collaboration with Mexican authorities,” Mr Kirby told reporters.

“We’re going to work closely with the Mexican government to ensure that justice is done in this case.”

When asked whether the White House was considering policy changes in response to the attack, Mr Kirby said that there were no immediate remedies but insisted US authorities are working extensively to get the fatal victim’s bodies and the survivors back on American soil.

Mexico kidnappings: What we know about the abduction of four US citizens in Matamoros

Tuesday 7 March 2023 23:00 , Andrea Blanco

Four American citizens who were ambushed and kidnapped at gunpoint in Mexico have been found - two of them alive and two dead, according to officials.

Here’s everything we know about the attack:

What we know about the kidnapping of four US citizens in Mexico

US authorities vow to get justice for two Americans killed in Mexico

Tuesday 7 March 2023 22:21 , Andrea Blanco

National Security Committee coordinator John Kirby decried the attack on the American citizens and vowed to get justice for their families.

“We appreciate the hard work of the Justice Department the FBI and the DEA and the Department of Homeland Security … we’re grateful for their swift response to this dreadful incident and for their continued collaboration with Mexican authorities,” Mr Kirby said.

“We’re going to work closely with the Mexican government to ensure that justice is done in this case.”

DoJ and State Department believe cartel mistook victims for Haitian drug smugglers

Tuesday 7 March 2023 21:35 , Andrea Blanco

US officials familiar with the investigation told CNN that authorities believe a Mexican cartel mistook the victims for Haitian drug smugglers.

The FBI, the Department of Justice and the State Department are working with Mexican authorities to determine what happened. At least one person has already been arrested, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said.

Mexico president ‘very sorry’ about kidnapping and deaths

Tuesday 7 March 2023 21:02 , Andrea Blanco

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador reacted to the development at his morning news conference.

“We continue to work every day towards peace and are very sorry that this has happened in our country,” he said.

“We send our condolences to the victims’ friends and family and the American people. And we will continue to work towards peace.”

Photos show rescue of two American tourists from drug cartel stash house

Tuesday 7 March 2023 20:31 , Andrea Blanco

Photos show rescue of two American tourists from drug cartel stash house

Victims were moved to different locations during three-day kidnapping

Tuesday 7 March 2023 19:45 , Andrea Blanco

The four Americans kidnapped in Matamoros were taken to different locations by the people keeping them hostage, Tamaulipas Gov Americo Villareal said in a press conference on Tuesday.

At one point, they were held at a clinic, Mr Villareal said.

Mexican state and local authorities returned the victims to the FBI at the Mexican border with Brownsville, Texas, on Tuesday.

The group had travelled to the Mexican state so that one of them could get a tummy tuck procedure. Not long after entering Matamoros – an area dominated by the Gulf cartel – they came under fire from a group of armed men and were bundled into the back of a pickup truck.

Eric Williams and LaTavia McGee named as survivors of Mexico kidnapping

Tuesday 7 March 2023 19:39 , Andrea Blanco

Tamaulipas Gov Americo Villareal said in a press conference on Tuesday that the two American citizens who survived a kidnapping in Matamoros and have since been repatriated to the US are Eric Williams and LaTavia McGee.

Mr Williams was wounded while Ms McGee was found unharmed.

Mr Villareal said one suspect, 24-year-old Jose N, has been arrested. The man was tasked with making sure that the victims didn’t escape and he was captured at the scene.

LaTavia McGee among survivors, mother says

Tuesday 7 March 2023 19:25 , Andrea Blanco

The mother of one of the Americans kidnapped in Mexico over the weekend has revealed that his daughter survived the attack.

LaTavia McGee’s mother Barbara Burgess told ABC News that FBI agents delivered the news to her on Tuesday, hours after Mexican officials announced that two of the individuals travelling in the group of four had been gunned down.

“I had to hold my heart,” Ms Burgess said. “There is a God.”

The other victims were identified as Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown and Eric James Williams by family members. They travelled from South Carolina to Mexico on 3 March because one of them planned to have plastic surgery done.

White House reacts to news of two American citizens killed in Mexico

Tuesday 7 March 2023 19:20 , Andrea Blanco

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday that any attacks on American citizens under any circumstances were unacceptable.

Ms Jean-Pierre said more information will be released after family members of the two fatal victims and two kidnapping survivors are updated by US officials on any developments made in the case.

She also noted that the Biden administration remains committed to “disrupting transnational criminal organizations including Mexican drug cartels and human smugglers.”

Officials familiar with the investigation previously told CNN that authorities believe a Mexican cartel mistook the victims for Haitian drug smugglers.

“In the past few months, President Biden signed an executive order giving the Department of Treasury expanded authorities to penalize cartel organizations and those who control or enable them, and we have imposed powerful new sanctions against cartel organizations in recent weeks,” Ms Jean-Pierre said.

“We remain committed to applying the full weight of our efforts and resources to counter them. Right now. our immediate concerns are for the safe return of our citizens, the health and well-being of those who survived this attack, and the support which must be rendered to the families of those who need it.”

Mexican officials said on Tuesday that the two surviving Americans are back on US soil.

Tuesday 7 March 2023 19:00 , Andrea Blanco

The group of American citizens kidnapped in Mexico got lost on their way to a plastic surgeon’s office before they were taken hostage by armed individuals.

Family members named the victims as Latavia “Tay” McGee, Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown and Eric James Williams, who travelled from South Carolina to Mexico on 3 March.

A friend of the victims, who asked to remain anonymous, told CNN that the group was having a hard time communicating with the doctor because of the poor phone signal.

“When I reached out to the doctor’s office they told me that Latavia had reached out to them to ask them for directions because she was lost,” they said to the network. “They sent me a screenshot of the messages and they said they sent her the address and asked her if she was using a GPS.”

GOP calls for military intervention in response to murdered American tourists in Mexico

Tuesday 7 March 2023 18:40 , Andrea Blanco

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told Fox News that he would introduce legislation to “set the stage” for using military force in Mexico to combat the drug cartel.

Mr Graham made the remarks on Jesse Watters’s show on Monday evening, saying he would “introduce legislation to make certain Mexican drug cartels foreign terrorist organizations under US law and set the stage to use military force if necessary.”

The Independent’s Eric Garcia has more:

GOP calls for military response to murdered American tourists in Mexico

Bodies of slain American tourist will be repatriated after autopsies

Tuesday 7 March 2023 18:23 , Andrea Blanco

The bodies of two Americans killed in Matamoros, Mexico, will be repatriated after local authorities conduct forensic evaluations, a source close to the investigation told CNN.

Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villareal said on a televised call with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador that two individuals of the four kidnapped on Friday were killed.

Two other American citizens, one unharmed and one wounded, are back on US soil.

Two survivors in Mexico kidnapping in the care of the FBI

Tuesday 7 March 2023 18:07 , Andrea Blanco

The Tamaulipas Attorney General has said that two American citizens who survived a kidnapping have been returned to the US. American officials told CNN that they’re in the care of the FBI now.

“Federal and state authorities, with personnel from the #USA Consulate in #Matamoros, delivered 2 citizens of that country in the border, who were located today after they were deprived of their freedom on March 3,” Irving Barrios Mojica said in a tweet.

Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villareal said on a televised call with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador that two individuals of the four kidnapped on Friday were killed.

One of the survivors is wounded while a fourth was unharmed.

Sister of kidnapping victims remains hopeful he is among two survivors

Tuesday 7 March 2023 18:03 , Andrea Blanco

The sister of kidnapping victim Zindell Brown has said she remains hopeful her brother is among two members of the group who survived the ordeal.

Mr Brown, Latavia “Tay” McGee, Shaeed Woodard, and Eric James Williams travelled to Matamoros, where McGee planned to have a tummy tuck done, from South Carolina. They were taken hostage on Friday.

Mexican authorities confirmed on Tuesday that two in the group were killed, one was wounded while a fourth victim was unharmed.

“MY BROTHER IS STILL ALIVE AND HE’S COMING HOME!! I STILL HAVE STRONG FAITH!! I’M KEEPING THE FAITH!!” Zalayna Grant wrote on Facebook.

DoJ and State Department believe cartel mistook victims for Haitian drug smugglers

Tuesday 7 March 2023 17:48 , Andrea Blanco

US officials familiar with the investigation told CNN that authorities believe a Mexican cartel mistook the victims for Haitian drug smugglers.

The FBI, the Department of Justice and the State Department are working with Mexican authorities to determine what happened. At least one person has already been arrested, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said.

Two survivors back on American soil

Tuesday 7 March 2023 17:36 , Andrea Blanco

The Tamaulipas Attorney General has said that two American citizens who survived a kidnapping have been returned to the US.

“Federal and state authorities, with personnel from the #USA Consulate in #Matamoros, delivered 2 citizens of that country in the border, who were located today after they were deprived of their freedom on March 3,” Irving Barrios Mojica said in a tweet.

Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villareal said on a televised call with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador that two individuals of the four kidnapped on Friday were killed.

One of the survivors is wounded while a fourth was unharmed.

Americans found in rural area near the site they were kidnapped on Friday

Tuesday 7 March 2023 17:30 , Andrea Blanco

An unnamed state authority told the Associated Press that the missing American citizens were found in a rural area east of Matamoros called Ejido Longoreño on the way to the local beach known as Playa Baghdad.

Investigators reportedly received word of the victims’ location before dawn on Tuesday.

It remains unclear how that word was delivered or how the rescue operation unfolded.

The authority requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the case.

US authorities vow to get justice for two Americans killed in Mexico

Tuesday 7 March 2023 17:15 , Andrea Blanco

National Security Committee coordinator John Kirby decried the attack on the American citizens and vowed to get justice for their families.

“We appreciate the hard work of the Justice Department the FBI and the DEA and the Department of Homeland Security … we’re grateful for their swift response to this dreadful incident and for their continued collaboration with Mexican authorities,” Mr Kirby said.

“We’re going to work closely with the Mexican government to ensure that justice is done in this case.”

One suspect arrested in kidnapping plot

Tuesday 7 March 2023 17:04 , Andrea Blanco

The FBI and Mexican authorities have made an arrest in the deaths of two American citizens killed in the state of Matamoros.

The tragic news was revealed on a televised call between Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villarreal and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Tuesday. Mr Villareal said that another person was found wounded while a fourth individual was unharmed.

The group, identified on Monday as Latavia “Tay” McGee, Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown and Eric James Williams, was taken hostage on Friday after entering the state of Tamaulipas in Matamoros – an area dominated by the Gulf cartel.

The Americans had driven from South Carolina and came under fire from a group of armed men and were bundled into the back of a pickup truck.

Mexican president says American’s death will be used my media to portray Mexico in a negative light

Tuesday 7 March 2023 16:30 , Andrea Blanco

Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villareal said on a televised call with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador that two of the victims were killed.

Mr Lopez Obrador claimed that the tragedy will be seized by the American media to portray Mexico as a dangerous country, in stark contrast with their “silence when Mexicans are killed in the US.”

It is unclear where the victims were located, with Mr Villareal stating that they had been “seen” before Mexican authorities confirmed the information.

Americans found in Ejido Longoreño, unnamed official says

Tuesday 7 March 2023 16:15 , Megan Sheets

An unnamed state authority told the Associated Press that the missing American citizens were found in a rural area east of Matamoros called Ejido Longoreño on the way to the local beach known as Playa Baghdad.

Investigators reportedly received word of the victims’ location before dawn on Tuesday.

It remains unclear how that word was delivered or how the rescue operation unfolded.

The authority requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the case.

One person arrested, Mexican president says

Tuesday 7 March 2023 16:01 , Megan Sheets

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said one person has been arrested in connection with the kidnapping of four Americans.

More details are expected to be released by Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villarreal at a news conference.

Mexico president ‘very sorry’ about kidnapping and deaths

Tuesday 7 March 2023 15:54 , Megan Sheets

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador reacted to the development at his morning news conference.

“We continue to work every day towards peace and are very sorry that this has happened in our country,” he said.

“We send our condolences to the victims’ friends and family and the American people. And we will continue to work towards peace.”

Americans kidnapped in Mexico are found dead

Tuesday 7 March 2023 16:33 , Andrea Blanco

The four Americans kidnapped in Matamoros have been found, according to Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villarreal.

Two of the victims are dead, one injured and another unharmed, he said.

The group was identified on Monday as Latavia “Tay” McGee, Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown and Eric James Williams, who travelled from South Carolina. The names of the deceased individuals have not been revealed.

Joint search effort led to discovery of missing Americans

Tuesday 7 March 2023 15:44 , Megan Sheets

The missing Americans were found through “joint search actions” presumably involving US and Mexican officials, according to Tamaulipas Attorney General Irving Barrios.

He confirmed the news in a tweet, written in Spanish and roughly translated to: “Derived from the joint search actions, the 4 American citizens deprived of their liberty were found last Friday. Unfortunately two dead. Investigation and intelligence work continues to capture those responsible.

“Details will be given later.”

Mexican governor confirms news at press conference

Tuesday 7 March 2023 15:37 , Megan Sheets

Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villarreal confirmed the discovery of the four Americans at a morning news conference by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

“Of the four, two of them are dead, one person is wounded and the other is alive and right now the ambulances and the rest of the security personnel are going for them for give the corresponding support,” Mr Villarreal said.

Details on discovery remain scant

Tuesday 7 March 2023 15:23 , Megan Sheets

Details about the discovery of the four kidnapped Americans remains scant.

The news that two of the Americans were found dead and two others alive initially came from Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villarreal, via the Associated Press.

Mr Villarreal said that one of the survivors was wounded and the other was not.

He did not give any identifying details.

The Independent’s Andrea Blanco reports:

Two Americans kidnapped in Matamoros, Mexico, are found dead, one wounded

Missing Americans found in Mexico

Tuesday 7 March 2023 15:10 , Megan Sheets

The four Americans kidnapped in Matamoros have been found, according to a Mexican governor.

Two of the victims are dead, one injured and another unharmed, according to the Associated Press.

Kidnapped American Latavia ‘Tay’ McGee travelled to Mexico for cosmetic surgery

Tuesday 7 March 2023 14:51 , Andrea Blanco

The four Americans kidnapped in Mexico on Friday have now been identified as Latavia “Tay” McGee, Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown and Eric James Williams, who travelled from South Carolina.

Ms McGee, who is pictured below, had travelled to the country for cosmetic surgery, her mother told the Associated Press.

Family of kidnapped US citizen says it feels like a ‘bad dream'

Tuesday 7 March 2023 14:20 , Rachel Sharp

The family of one of the kidnapped US citizens has spoken out to say that it feels like a “bad dream”.

Zalandria Brown said that her younger brother Zindell Brown is one of the four victims who are now missing after being abducted by armed men in Matamoros on Friday.

“This is like a bad dream you wish you could wake up from,” she told the Associated Press.

“To see a member of your family thrown in the back of a truck and dragged, it is just unbelievable.”

Ms Brown said her brother, who lives in Myrtle Beach, had gone on the trip with his three friends because one of the women – Latavia “Tay” McGee – had booked to get a tummy tuck at a clinic in Mexico.

She said that her brother had spoken about his concerns of going to such a dangerous place but the four had all gone to help share driving duties on the trip.

“Zindell kept saying, ‘We shouldn’t go down,’” she said.

Mom of kidnapped American says she urged daughter not to go

Tuesday 7 March 2023 13:50 , Rachel Sharp

The mother of one of the four Americans kidnapped in Mexico has revealed that she urged her daughter not to go.

Latavia “Tay” McGee’s mother Barbara Burgess told ABC News that her daughter had traveled with her three friends from her home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to get a tummy tuck at a clinic in Mexico.

Ms Burgess said she was worried about her daughter going and warned her it might not be safe.

But, her daughter brushed off her concerns telling her: “Ma, I’ll be okay”.

Ms Burgess said she last heard from Ms McGee on Friday when she called to say that they were just 15 minutes from the cosmetic surgeon’s office where she was scheduled to have the procedure that day. She never heard from her again.

Ms Burgess said she tried calling her daughter later that day but her phone went straight to voicemail.

Not long later, she said she received a visit from an FBI agent, revealing what had happened.

Four Americans kidnapped at gunpoint in Mexico identified as group of friends who travelled for tummy tuck

Tuesday 7 March 2023 13:20 , Rachel Sharp

The four Americans kidnapped at gunpoint in Matamoros have now been identified as a group of friends who travelled to Mexico so that one of them could get a tummy tuck procedure.

Family members named the group on Monday as Latavia “Tay” McGee, Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown and Eric James Williams.

The four were travelling in a white minivan with North Carolina licence plates when they crossed the US border into Mexico on Friday.

Not long after entering Matamoros – an area dominated by the Gulf cartel – they came under fire from a group of armed men and were bundled into the back of a pickup truck. They have not been seen since.

Read the full story here:

Identities of four Americans kidnapped at gunpoint in Mexico made public

Marjorie Taylor Greene calls for US military to rescue kidnapped Americans

Tuesday 7 March 2023 12:50 , Rachel Sharp

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has called for the US military to “take out” the Mexicancartels after it was announced that four American tourists were kidnapped while in Mexico.

Graig Gaziosi reports.

Marjorie Taylor Greene calls for US military ‘strike’ on Mexican cartels

PICTURED: Kidnapped American Shaeed Woodard

Tuesday 7 March 2023 12:20 , Rachel Sharp

The four Americans kidnapped in Mexico on Friday have now been identified as Latavia “Tay” McGee, Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown and Eric James Williams, who travelled from South Carolina.

Mr Woodard is pictured below:

PICTURED: Kidnapped American Latavia ‘Tay’ McGee

Tuesday 7 March 2023 11:59 , Rachel Sharp

The four Americans kidnapped in Mexico on Friday have now been identified as Latavia “Tay” McGee, Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown and Eric James Williams, who travelled from South Carolina.

Ms McGee is pictured below:

Innocent Mexican citizen killed in kidnapping incident

Tuesday 7 March 2023 10:15 , Oliver O'Connell

An innocent Mexican citizen was killed during the kidnapping of four Americans, according to US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar.

Mr Salazar did not offer any additional details about the circumstances of the killing.

“We have no higher priority than the safety of our citizens,” he said, according to CNN.

“This is the most fundamental role of the US government. Officials from various US law enforcement agencies are working with Mexican authorities at all levels of government to achieve the safe return of our compatriots.”

What we know about the abduction of four Americans in Matamoros

Tuesday 7 March 2023 08:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The FBI has launched an appeal for information after four American citizens were ambushed and kidnapped at gunpoint in Mexico on Friday 3 March.

An investigation involving the FBI, federal partners and Mexican law enforcement agencies is currently underway to find them.

Oliver Rich, special agent in charge of the San Antonio Division of the FBI, said in a press release that the bureau is seeking the public’s help in identifying the assailants.

A reward of $50,000 is being offered for tip-offs leading to the return of the victims and the arrest of their captors.

Details regarding the incident are currently sparse but here is everything we do know so far about this developing story.

What we know about the kidnapping of four US citizens in Mexico

State Department: ‘Do not travel’ to Tamaulipas

Tuesday 7 March 2023 06:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The US State Department has advised Americans not to travel to the Mexican state of Tamaulipas due to the risk of crime and kidnapping, with the region featuring on its “Level 4: Do Not Travel” list.

The US Consulate in Matamoros issued a warning to its employees on Friday in response to the latest outbreak of violence.

Ambassador Salazar: ‘No higher priority than the safety of our citizens

Tuesday 7 March 2023 04:15 , Oliver O'Connell

US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar released a statement on Monday:

On Friday, March 3, unknown assailants in Matamoros, Tamaulipas kidnapped four US citizens at gunpoint in an incident that tragically killed an innocent Mexican citizen. We have no higher priority than the safety of our citizens. This is the most fundamental role of the US government.

He also tweeted that the embassy is working with the Mexican authorities to secure the release of the Americans.

White House ‘closely following’ situation

Tuesday 7 March 2023 03:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says the White House is “closely following the assault and kidnapping” of four American citizens in Mexico.

“Our thoughts are with the families of these individuals and we stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance.”

Where were four US citizens abducted at gunpoint in Matamoros?

Tuesday 7 March 2023 02:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The FBI has launched a search for four US citizens who were kidnapped at gunpoint in Mexico.

The group of four Americans drove across the US border with Mexico on Friday, crossing into Matamoros, Tamaulipas, in their white minivan, according to the US Embassy & Consulates in Mexico.

Not long after crossing the border, they were ambushed by a group of gunmen who fired on the passengers in the vehicle.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Mexico kidnapping map: Where were four US citizens abducted at gunpoint in Matamoros?

Tuesday 7 March 2023 01:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Twitter video reveals violence in Matamoros

A widely shared video on Twitter appears to show the aftermath of violence in Matamoros on Friday, around the time the four Americans were kidnapped.

New images of kidnap scene in Mexico

Tuesday 7 March 2023 01:02 , Graeme Massie

FBI seeks public’s help

Tuesday 7 March 2023 00:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Here is the full text of the FBI’s call for public assistance in identifying the captors of the four Americans.

Oliver Rich, Special Agent in Charge of the San Antonio Division of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), whose territory includes Brownsville, Texas, announced today that the FBI is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the person(s) responsible for the assault and kidnapping of four US Citizens, in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, on March 03, 2023.

The FBI, federal partners, and Mexican law enforcement agencies are investigating. The FBI is announcing a reward of $50,000 for the return of the victims and the arrest of those involved.

On March 03, 2023, four Americans crossed into Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico driving a white minivan with North Carolina license plates. Shortly after crossing into Mexico, unidentified gunmen fired upon the passengers in the vehicle. All four Americans were placed in a vehicle and taken from the scene by armed men.

The public is urged to call FBI San Antonio Division at 210-225-6741 with any information regarding this investigation. Tips can also be submitted online at https://tips.fbi.gov

Individuals who provide information may remain anonymous.

Identities of four Americans kidnapped at gunpoint in Mexico made public

Tuesday 7 March 2023 00:09 , Graeme Massie

The identities of three of the four US citizens kidnapped at gunpoint in Mexico after being ambushed when they crossed the border have been made public.

Christina Hickson says her son, 28-year-old Zindell Brown, is one of the group of four Americans who drove across the US border with Mexico on Friday, crossing into Matamoros, Tamaulipas, in a white minivan, reported WPDE.

Identities of three Americans kidnapped at gunpoint in Mexico made public

Americans ‘buying medicine’ were not ‘intended target’, reports say

Monday 6 March 2023 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The four US citizens kidnapped at gunpoint in Mexico are not believed to have been intentionally targeted, CNN reports.

Citing a US official with knowledge of the investigation, the network reports that it was likely a mistake.

The same official said the Americans were not thought to have been in Mexico for criminal purposes.

Americans kidnapped in Mexico not intended target, US official says

Marjorie Taylor Greene calls for US military strike on cartels

Monday 6 March 2023 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has called for the US military to “take out” the Mexicancartels after it was announced that four American tourists were kidnapped while in Mexico.

The FBI announced that the Americans were kidnapped on 3 March in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico.

Graig Graziosi reports.

Marjorie Taylor Greene calls for US military ‘strike’ on Mexican cartels

How did the Americans get caught up in a shootout?

Monday 6 March 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

According to the US Embassy & Consulates in Mexico, the group had crossed into the north eastern state of Tamaulipas on the Gulf Coast from Brownsville, Texas, driving a white minivan with North Carolina licence plates.

Shortly after they had entered the country, they were attacked by gunmen in the border city of Matamoros.

After firing on the van, the attackers then moved the passengers to another vehicle and drove them away from the scene, the embassy said.

The identities of the Americans has not yet been disclosed and the purpose of their trip has not yet been substantiated.

On Monday morning, an unnamed US official said the four Americans were not the intended targets and they had traveled to Matamoros for medical procedures.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said the group were in the country looking to buy medicine.

“The information we have is that they crossed the border to buy medicines in Mexico, there was a confrontation between groups and they were detained,” the president said. “The whole government is working on it.”

Two cartel shootouts in Matamoros on Friday

Monday 6 March 2023 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Matamoros is notorious as a centre for gang violence and illegal migrant smuggling. It is dominated by the Gulf drug cartel but there has been infighting between splinter groups in recent years.

Tamaulipas state police said on its social media channel that people had been killed and injured in two shootouts in Matamoros on Friday in which neither the military nor police had been involved but did not offer any further detail on the shootings or say whether the kidnappings were connected.

State Department: ‘Do not travel’ to Tamaulipas

Monday 6 March 2023 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The US State Department has advised Americans not to travel to the Mexican state of Tamaulipas due to the risk of crime and kidnapping, with the region featuring on its “Level 4: Do Not Travel” list.

The US Consulate in Matamoros issued a warning to its employees on Friday in response to the latest outbreak of violence.

Marjorie Taylor Greene wants ‘strike’ on cartels in Mexico

Monday 6 March 2023 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has called for the US military to “strategically strike and take out the Mexican Cartels”.

The controversial congresswoman has tweeted several times about Mexico and the cartels sincw news broke of the kidnapping of four Americans on Friday.

Initially she wrote: “Mexican Cartels kidnapped 4 Americans this weekend and Mexico is so DANGEROUS that if you go to Mexico ‘you are on your own!’ But but but.. Ukraine!”

Later, she expounded:

Our military should be stationed at our southern border. We should strategically strike and take out the Mexican Cartels, not the Mexican government or their people, but the Mexican Cartels which control them all. They are international terrorists and criminals murdering Americans everyday with drugs and crime! They are making BILLIONS on drug and human trafficking and are terrorizing anyone who stands in their way. Our military is competent and should take them out swiftly. Make an example out of these monsters. The only difference between the Cartels and ISIS is that the Cartels are on our southern border.

Rep Greene finally added: “What’s the difference between ISIS and Antifa and the Mexican Cartels? Nothing. They are all terrorists and should be treated accordingly.”

Ambassador Salazar: ‘No higher priority than the safety of our citizens

Monday 6 March 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar released a statement on Monday:

On Friday, March 3, unknown assailants in Matamoros, Tamaulipas kidnapped four US citizens at gunpoint in an incident that tragically killed an innocent Mexican citizen. We have no higher priority than the safety of our citizens. This is the most fundamental role of the US government.

He also tweeted that the embassy is working with the Mexican authorities to secure the release of the Americans.

White House ‘closely following’ situation

Monday 6 March 2023 19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says the White House is “closely following the assault and kidnapping” of four American citizens in Mexico.

“Our thoughts are with the families of these individuals and we stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance.”

What we know about the abduction of four Americans in Matamoros

Monday 6 March 2023 19:00 , Megan Sheets

The FBI has launched an appeal for information after four American citizens were ambushed and kidnapped at gunpoint in Mexico on Friday 3 March.

An investigation involving the FBI, federal partners and Mexican law enforcement agencies is currently underway to find them.

Oliver Rich, special agent in charge of the San Antonio Division of the FBI, said in a press release that the bureau is seeking the public’s help in identifying the assailants.

A reward of $50,000 is being offered for tip-offs leading to the return of the victims and the arrest of their captors.

Details regarding the incident are currently sparse but here is everything we do know so far about this developing story.

What we know about the kidnapping of four US citizens in Mexico

Innocent Mexican citizen killed in kidnapping incident

Monday 6 March 2023 18:45 , Megan Sheets

An innocent Mexican citizen was killed during the kidnapping of four Americans, according to US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar.

Mr Salazar did not offer any additional details about the circumstances of the killing.

“We have no higher priority than the safety of our citizens,” he said, according to CNN.

“This is the most fundamental role of the US government. Officials from various US law enforcement agencies are working with Mexican authorities at all levels of government to achieve the safe return of our compatriots.”

Mexican president says Americans were buying medicine

Monday 6 March 2023 18:15 , Megan Sheets

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has said the four Americans kidnapped were in the country for medical procedures.

“The information we have is that they crossed the border to buy medicines in Mexico, there was a confrontation between groups and they were detained,” he said. “The whole government is working on it.”

The president made his comments after an unnamed US official told CNN that the Americans were targeted in a case of mistaken identity.

Where were four US citizens abducted at gunpoint in Matamoros?

Monday 6 March 2023 17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The FBI has launched a search for four US citizens who were kidnapped at gunpoint in Mexico.

The group of four Americans drove across the US border with Mexico on Friday, crossing into Matamoros, Tamaulipas, in their white minivan, according to the US Embassy & Consulates in Mexico.

Not long after crossing the border, they were ambushed by a group of gunmen who fired on the passengers in the vehicle.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Mexico kidnapping map: Where were four US citizens abducted at gunpoint in Matamoros?

Americans targeted by mistake says US official

Monday 6 March 2023 17:01 , Oliver O'Connell

CNN reports that the group of Americans assaulted and kidnapped in Matamoros were targeted by mistake and were not the intended victims of the attack.

The network cites a US official with knowledge of the situation.

It is also not believed that the group was in Mexico for criminal purposes.

The four Americans crossed into Mexico on Friday in a white minivan with North Carolina licence plates and were abducted a short time later.

FBI seeks public’s help

Monday 6 March 2023 16:38 , Oliver O'Connell

Here is the full text of the FBI’s call for public assistance in identifying the captors of the four Americans.

Oliver Rich, Special Agent in Charge of the San Antonio Division of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), whose territory includes Brownsville, Texas, announced today that the FBI is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the person(s) responsible for the assault and kidnapping of four US Citizens, in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, on March 03, 2023.

The FBI, federal partners, and Mexican law enforcement agencies are investigating. The FBI is announcing a reward of $50,000 for the return of the victims and the arrest of those involved.

On March 03, 2023, four Americans crossed into Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico driving a white minivan with North Carolina license plates. Shortly after crossing into Mexico, unidentified gunmen fired upon the passengers in the vehicle. All four Americans were placed in a vehicle and taken from the scene by armed men.

The public is urged to call FBI San Antonio Division at 210-225-6741 with any information regarding this investigation. Tips can also be submitted online at https://tips.fbi.gov

Individuals who provide information may remain anonymous.

Pictures of minivan after shooting emerge

Monday 6 March 2023 16:19 , Oliver O'Connell

Twitter video reveals violence in Matamoros

Monday 6 March 2023 15:35 , Oliver O'Connell

A widely shared video on Twitter appears to show the aftermath of violence in Matamoros on Friday, around the time the four Americans were kidnapped.

Americans advised against travel to Tamaulipas

Monday 6 March 2023 15:10 , Joe Sommerlad

The purpose of the group’s visit to Mexico is currently unclear.

However, the US State Department is advising Americans not to travel to Tamaulipas due to the risk of crime and kidnapping.

The region is on the “Level 4: Do Not Travel” list.

The border city of Matamoros is largely controlled by the Gulf drug cartel, with violence and migrant smuggling rife.

FBI appeals for public’s help in identifying assailants

Monday 6 March 2023 14:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Oliver Rich, special agent in charge of the San Antonio Division of the FBI, said in a press release that the bureau is seeking the public’s help in identifying the assailants responsible for the assault and kidnapping.

A reward of $50,000 is being offered for information leading to the return of the victims and the arrest of the kidnappers.

An investigation – involving the FBI, federal partners and Mexican law enforcement agencies – is currently underway.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the FBI San Antonio Division at 210-225-6741 or to submit tips anonymously online here.

Four Americans kidnapped at gunpoint in Tamaulipas on Friday

Monday 6 March 2023 13:55 , Joe Sommerlad

Four US citizens who were kidnapped at gunpoint in Mexico on Friday have been made the subject of a manhunt by the FBI.

The group had crossed the Mexico border from Brownsville, Texas, into Matamoros, Tamaulipas, in a white minivan when they were ambushed by gunmen who fired on the passengers, according to the US Embassy & Consulates in Mexico.

The four Americans were then placed in another vehicle and driven from the scene by their captors, the embassy said.

Here’s Rachel Sharp’s report.

FBI launches search for four US citizens kidnapped at gunpoint in Matamoros, Mexico

Monday 6 March 2023 13:37 , Joe Sommerlad

Hello and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the FBI investigation into the kidnapping of four Americans in Mexico.