Four Americans were kidnapped by armed gunmen in Mexico and went missing. Last Friday, two of the Americans were found dead, while the remaining two were found alive.
They traveled from South Carolina to undergo a medical procedure across the border for one of the members of their group, who was a mother of six.
Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown, and their friend Eric drove to Mexico for the procedure, but Latavia “Tay” Washington McGee, 33, didn’t make it to her doctor’s appointment. Unidentified gunmen fired on the Americans in the border city of Matamoros and the group was kidnapped.
Investigators believe that the Americans were targeted by a Mexican cartel who likely mistook them for Haitian drug smugglers.
An innocent Mexican bystander also died during the violent encounter, according to US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar. The US citizens have no concerning criminal history that has been identified by investigators.
The ongoing investigation into the case has led officials to suspect that the Americans were targeted by a Mexican cartel, highlighting the ongoing violence that has plagued some Mexican cities during the long-running Mexican drug war.
Tamaulipas Attorney General Irving Barrios restated on Twitter that two of the missing Americans were found dead while two others were found alive, and that an investigation is ongoing to capture those responsible.