Mexican officials reported that two of the four Americans abducted at gunpoint in Mexico last week are dead while two others are alive and safe in the United States.
The Americans were abducted on March 3 while driving into the city of Matamoros in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas in Mexico, located just across the border from Texas.
The four American citizens had travelled to Mexico for cosmetic surgery, according to their relatives. The identity of the two deceased has not been revealed. José “N”, 24, from Tamaulipas, has been arrested in connection with the incident. The two surviving victims have been delivered to the US with the help of the US consulate in Matamoros, according to Tamaulipas Attorney General Irving Barrios Mojica. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, the United States government, and friends.
Last week, four US citizens were kidnapped at gunpoint while driving into the city of Matamoros in the north-eastern state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. The Americans had travelled to Mexico for cosmetic surgery, according to relatives. One Mexican man has been arrested in connection with the kidnapping. Two of the four Americans have died, while the other two are alive and now safe in the US.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, friends, and the United States government. He pledged to continue working to ensure peace and tranquility in the country.
The FBI had offered a $50,000 (£42,000) reward for the safe return of the Americans. Medical tourism is common in the area, particularly among people living in US border states. However, Tamaulipas state is one of six Mexican states that the US State Department advises travelers not to visit due to the high level of crime and kidnapping.
The incident highlights the dangers of traveling to certain parts of Mexico, particularly areas where drug cartels hold significant power. The investigation is ongoing, and it remains unclear whether the Americans were ambushed, mistaken for competing drug traffickers, or caught in cross-fire between warring factions.
The surviving victims were delivered to the US in co-operation with the US consulate in Matamoros, and the bodies of the deceased have been repatriated. The Mexican officials have confirmed the 24-year-old man arrested in connection with the kidnapping, and the investigation is still in the early stages.
