Four Americans crossed into Mexico on March 3, 2023. One member of the group planned to undergo a cosmetic surgery in the country, and the other three were there to support that person.
It's since been revealed that gunmen fired on the white minivan the group traveled in soon after they made it into the country. The gunmen subsequently pulled all four out of the vehicle and ordered them into a van at gunpoint.
Since the kidnapping, the governor of Tamaulipas, Américo Villarreal Anay, has confirmed that two of the Americans are dead. Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has also confirmed, "The information we have is that they crossed the border to buy medicines in Mexico, there was a confrontation between groups and they were detained."
A Mexican authority told the BBC that two men had been killed, and a third man and a woman were found alive. President López Obrador added, "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."
The group was originally kidnapped in the town of Matamoros, which neighbors the border with Texas. Video of the four being pulled into the second van has been shared online, prompting family members of the kidnapped to voice their concern and devastation.
ABC News had identified the Americans as Latavia "Tay" McGee, Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown, and Eric James Williams. Brown's sister Zalandria Brown told the New York Times that she is in a state of shock. As she put it, "To see a member of your family thrown in the back of a truck and dragged, it is just unbelievable."
The US Department of State currently lists the area under its "Do Not Travel" section, and lists "gun battles, murder, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, forced disappearances, extortion, and sexual assault" as potential problems in the region.
On top of that, Americans who work for the consulate in Matamoros "may only travel within a limited radius around the U.S. consulate and their homes, as well as the border crossing and some limited downtown sites."
Barbara Burgess, the mother of Tay McGee, shares that she told her daughter not to take the trip. Her daughter reportedly replied, "Ma, I'll be OK."
Burgess adds that she and her daughter were in contact until about 15 minutes before she was due to arrive at the clinic. At that point, "Her phone just started going to voicemail."
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has commented, "We are closely following the assault and kidnapping of four U.S. citizens in Matamoros, Mexico. These sorts of attacks are unacceptable. Our thoughts are with the families of these individuals, and we stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance. We will continue to coordinate with Mexico and push them to bring those responsible to justice."
