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Two Americans kidnapped in Mexico are dead and two are alive, local governor says
NBC News ^ | March 7, 2023, 5:45 AM CST / Updated March 7, 2023, 9:58 AM CST | By Chantal Da Silva, Gabe Gutierrez and Marlene Lenthang

Posted on 03/07/2023 8:12:10 AM PST by Red Badger

Tamaulipas Gov. Américo Villarreal made the announcement over the phone at a presidential news conference Tuesday morning, noting that one of the surviving victims is wounded.

Two of the four Americans who were shot at by gunmen and kidnapped shortly after crossing the border into northern Mexico last week are dead, according to the governor of Tamaulipas state.

Gov. Américo Villarreal made the announcement over the phone at a presidential news conference Tuesday morning, noting that the other Americans are alive. One of the surviving victims, however, is wounded, he said. The person's condition was not disclosed.

The governor said details were confirmed by prosecutors earlier Tuesday morning. He said that ambulances and security personnel were going to give support to the victims.

It’s not clear where they were found.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said further details would be released later.

“We are very sorry that this happened in our country and we send our condolences to the families of the victims, friends, and the United States government, and we will continue doing our work to guarantee peace and tranquility," he said.

Tamaulipas Attorney General Irving Barrios Mojica tweeted Tuesday that the four U.S. citizens were found by “joint search actions.” He said that work is underway to capture those behind the kidnapping.

The FBI had been offering a $50,000 reward for the safe return of the U.S. citizens. The group was kidnapped Friday after driving into Matamoros, Tamaulipas, just south of Brownsville, Texas.

Dramatic video showing a gunman dragging people into a white pickup truck captured the kidnapping as it unfolded, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the matter confirmed.

Authorities have yet to identify the four people.

But one of the victims was identified as LaTavia Washington McGee by her cousin, Aliyah McCleod, who is acting as a family spokesperson.

McCleod said the group is from South Carolina, and had been traveling in a rental vehicle with North Carolina license plates when they entered Matamoros. The FBI confirmed that the group was traveling in a white minivan with North Carolina plates.

McCleod said the group had traveled to Mexico for a "medical procedure." She said her family was pleading for their safe return.

A law enforcement official with knowledge of the matter said a woman in the group had been seeking a cosmetic medical procedure. The official said cartel gunmen had targeted the group in a case of mistaken identity.

Zalandria Brown of Florence, South Carolina, told The Associated Press that her younger brother, Zindell, was among the four victims. She said she had been in contact with the FBI and local officials after learning her sibling had been kidnapped.

“This is like a bad dream you wish you could wake up from,” she told the news agency. “To see a member of your family thrown in the back of a truck and dragged, it is just unbelievable.”

Brown said her brother, who lives in Myrtle Beach, had been on the trip to accompany a friend who was traveling to Mexico for a procedure.

She also said that her brother had some reservations about them making the trip because of the potential dangers in Mexico.

“Zindell kept saying, ‘We shouldn’t go down,’” Brown told the AP.

At a news briefing in Washington on Monday, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said the Biden administration was "closely following the assault and kidnapping of four U.S. citizens."

"These sorts of attacks are unacceptable," she said, adding that U.S. law enforcement was in touch with Mexican authorities, as were the departments of State and Homeland Security.

"We will continue to coordinate with Mexico and push them to bring those responsible to justice," Jean-Pierre said.

Ken Salazar, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, said in a statement Monday that an “innocent Mexican citizen was tragically killed” during the kidnapping.

President López Obrador said at a news conference that the Americans were in Mexico to buy medicine, a common practice for people seeking cheaper medications across the southern border.

The FBI and Mexican law enforcement are investigating, with the bureau asking the public for information leading to arrests. Anyone with information is urged to call the FBI’s San Antonio division at 210-225-6741.

The State Department has a “Do Not Travel” warning in place for Tamaulipas state due to “crime and kidnapping." It said organized crime activity, including gun battles, armed robberies and kidnappings, are common along the border and in Ciudad Victoria.

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


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Mexico
KEYWORDS: border; cartel; mexico; murder; tummytuck; vanity; violence
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To: XRdsRev

All true! They were not drug dealers. They went to Mexico to get her a “bargain” tummy tuck. But it’s no bargain when you get shot at or killed by crazed Mexican narco-traficantes


61 posted on 03/07/2023 11:03:05 AM PST by dennisw ("You don't have to like it. You just have to do it")
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To: Mr. K

Were they carrying all cash for the ‘procedure’?


62 posted on 03/07/2023 11:03:44 AM PST by Scrambler Bob
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To: Grampa Dave

A friend of mine was in the Philippines last month to see various people. He got two dental bridges. Very good deal. Believe it not, from a righteous female Muslim dentist on the po side of town. Angeles city area/

The dentist who he last saw 7 years ago, but did not know where she had moved her offices too. The woman who showed him the way (guided him) to the new dental offices location, he also last saw 7 years ago. He then pitched in $700 to get her dental work done. These are poor people! Good karma for him and all I guess.


63 posted on 03/07/2023 11:14:16 AM PST by dennisw ("You don't have to like it. You just have to do it")
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To: Tommy Revolts

Now that the captives have been verified as having sufficient Diversity Points, the regime will go into overdrive to free them.

If they were melanin challenged Christians, regime response would be “sucks to be you”-


64 posted on 03/07/2023 11:16:38 AM PST by slapshot ( - Get woke go broke-)
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To: Red Badger

I wonder if Al Sharpton will travel to Mexico to demand that the people responsible for this attack be brought to justice? Somehow, I don’t think so.


65 posted on 03/07/2023 11:20:59 AM PST by GreenHornet
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To: dennisw

Three men and one woman went for a tummy tuck? Not buying it.


66 posted on 03/07/2023 11:32:56 AM PST by Toespi
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To: Tommy Revolts

Now that the captives have been verified as having sufficient Diversity Points, the regime will go into overdrive to free them.

If they were melanin challenged Christians, regime response would be “sucks to be you”-


67 posted on 03/07/2023 12:08:16 PM PST by slapshot ( - Get woke go broke-)
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To: Red Badger

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador needs the help
of the US Marines to secure his border and destroy the cartels.

Come on Brandon, ask him for the invitation.......

( sound of an old farting sphincter)


68 posted on 03/07/2023 12:14:41 PM PST by Candor7 ( ( Ask not for whom THE Trump trolls...He trolls for thee!))
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To: Mr. K

Dang....I had a Wheatie


69 posted on 03/07/2023 1:17:10 PM PST by Osage Orange
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To: Red Badger

She went there for a “tummy tuck”.
That is stupid on so many levels....every level.
Idiots.
🙄


70 posted on 03/07/2023 3:31:57 PM PST by TheConservativeParty (Comfy with Frens 🐸 )
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To: MrRelevant

What were they thinking?

I’m surprised that this girl found three people to go along with her delusions.

RIP, and may the families find consolation.


71 posted on 03/07/2023 3:57:21 PM PST by miserare ( Impeach Joe Biden!)
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To: slapshot

The two survivors have already been rescued. So it looks like:

Two Americans dead, 1 guy, 1 gal.

Two Americans rescued by Mexican police: 1 guy, 1 gal, one of the two is seriously wounded. (Seems like 1 report said the wounded was the guy rescued.)

1 Mexican woman who apparently had the bad luck to be nearby the scene of the kidnapping was shot & killed.

1 cartel member wounded and captured in the rescue.

Some reports indicate the Americans were mistaken for Haitian drug smugglers encroaching on the cartel’s territory.

Clarification(s) / updates likely.


72 posted on 03/07/2023 5:54:17 PM PST by Paul R. (You know your pullets are dumb if they don't recognize a half Whopper as food!)
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To: Paul R.

Minor updates:

Two Americans dead, 1 guy, 1 gal.

Two Americans rescued by Mexican police: 1 guy, seriously wounded; 1 gal, in hospital but apparently not seriously injured.

1 Mexican woman who apparently had the bad luck to be 1-1/2 blocks from the scene of the kidnapping was killed by a stray bullet.

1 cartel member wounded and captured in the rescue.

Some reports indicate the Americans were mistaken for Haitian drug smugglers encroaching on the cartel’s territory.

Clarification(s) / updates likely.


73 posted on 03/07/2023 6:00:40 PM PST by Paul R. (You know your pullets are dumb if they don't recognize a half Whopper as food!)
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To: qwerty1234

Yes! If you look around there are some pics coming out from Mexican media, showing graphic details which are being called drug-gang related attacks.


74 posted on 03/07/2023 6:47:17 PM PST by unsycophant
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To: Reno89519

Yes good idea

Peter Doocy told Karin-etc Biden should use the military.

She said they won’t talk about what the military could do.

5 cartels have at least 50 offices in the USA

10 in CA.

One in a town a few miles from where I live.

That’s who should be targeted.

They are right here among us!

They take over the gangs.

Hit them with SWAT!


75 posted on 03/08/2023 2:15:59 AM PST by Syncro (Facts and Tuuth)
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To: Scrambler Bob
"Were they carrying all cash for the ‘procedure’? "

I bet at least SOME of them were ... and the criminals learned how to spot them.

76 posted on 03/09/2023 4:47:23 AM PST by Mr. K (No consequence of repealing Obamacare is worse than Obamacare)
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