Video showed how the four victims were loaded into the back of a white pick-up. Some of them appeared to be motionless after the gunmen had opened fire. Photo from a video that circulated after the incident.
MEXICO CITY — Four U.S. citizens were attacked and kidnapped on Friday shortly after crossing the Texas border into Mexico, according to the FBI. The Americans reportedly arrived in the border city of Matamoros, Tamaulipas where gunmen unloaded a hail of bullets on their vehicle.Video of the aftermath of the assault, which took place in broad daylight, spread quickly on social media and showed a terrifying scene. Armed men forced a woman into the back of a white pick up truck. The other three Americans, who appear to potentially be deceased, are dragged by the men and loaded into the back of the same truck.The FBI announced the incident via the U.S. Embassy in Mexico in a statement on Sunday night, but did not provide the identities of the victims.“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 statement said.The FBI said it is working with federal partners and Mexican law enforcement to try and locate the kidnapped Americans, and is offering a $50,000 reward for the return of the victims and the arrest of those involved.The city of Matamoros is currently ground zero of an ongoing war between rival factions of the Gulf Cartel. Shootouts in the city are not uncommon, and bodies are often removed from the crime scene and disposed of in order to hide evidence of the cartels’ gruesome crimes.
On Friday, Tamaulipas state authorities warned residents of Matamoros via Twitter that there were reports of “two armed incidents between unidentified civilians,” and confirmed that there was a “loss of life and injuries.” The state and federal police announced that they were immediately boosting their presence in the area and encouraged residents to remain indoors, and not send their children to school.
On Friday, Tamaulipas state authorities warned residents of Matamoros via Twitter that there were reports of “two armed incidents between unidentified civilians,” and confirmed that there was a “loss of life and injuries.” The state and federal police announced that they were immediately boosting their presence in the area and encouraged residents to remain indoors, and not send their children to school.