Mexican and US authorities are working urgently for the safe return of four US citizens who were shot at and abducted by gunmen after crossing the border into Mexico near the town of Matamoros. In that incident, an “innocent Mexican citizen was tragically killed,” said US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar.
US citizens drove into Matamoros, Tamaulipas, on Friday in a white minivan with North Carolina license plates. Shortly after they entered Mexico, unidentified gunmen fired on the passengers in the minibus. All four Americans were placed in a vehicle and taken away by armed men,” the FBI said.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the Americans presumably entered the country to buy medicines. They may have subsequently become entangled in a confrontation between criminal groups. Matamoros, located near the border at Brownsville, Texas, is plagued by violence related to drug trafficking and other organized crime.
Tamaulipas’ highways are said to be among the most dangerous in Mexico due to the threat of kidnapping and extortion by criminal gangs. The United States Department of State advises against travel to Tamaulipas due to crime and kidnapping.
The FBI has offered a reward of $50,000 (46,860 euros) for help finding the kidnapped Americans and apprehending the gunmen and kidnappers. US President Joe Biden has been notified of the kidnapping.
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