Recovered/Located MEXICO - 4 Americans missing, feared kidnapped in Matamoros, Mexico, 3 Mar 2023

[dotr]

 

[MrsWatson]

2 Americans kidnapped in Mexico found dead and 2 found alive, officials say

Two of the four Americans kidnapped by armed gunmen in the Mexico border city of Matamoros on Friday were found dead and two were found alive on Tuesday, US and Mexican officials said.

us.cnn.com

An innocent Mexican bystander was also killed in the encounter, US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar said.

Investigators believe the Americans were mistakenly targeted by a Mexican cartel that likely mistook them for Haitian drug smugglers, a US official familiar with the ongoing investigation tells CNN.

The US citizens have no concerning criminal history that has been identified by investigators, the source said.

The group of friends, who were bonded “like glue,” grew up together in South Carolina, Brown’s sister Zalandria Brown told CNN. She added, that she and her brother are also close. “Zindell is like my shadow, he’s like my son, he’s like my hip bone. We’re just tight like that.”

This was the second time Washington McGee, a mother of six children, had gone to Mexico for a medical procedure, her mother said. About two to three years ago, Burgess said, her daughter traveled to the country for a surgery.

 

[Chelly]

And it's kind of random, too. Thousands of Americans cross daily and most are not kidnapped. I used to be pretty cavalier about it (lived in southern Mexico for a while; will not lie - aspects of it were very scarcy, but I was very naïve and also thought of myself as lucky).

I'm surprised that this group of travelers doesn't sound like they are elderly and certainly there were men in the group. I fear that they were perhaps scammed in some way (to bring a lot of cash to pay for the supposed surgery - this is a known thing).

"Mistaken identity" implies that these poor travelers resembled (van-wise or personally) the people sought by the cartel/bad guys? I just am shaking my head about this, as I'm wondering who exactly the bad guys were targeting (people clearly American; American license plates; men and women traveling together, clearly a kind of vacation - a medi-vacation, but how would the bad guys even known that?)

I'm very skeptical of the "mistaken identity" phrase, unless there is other information.

Mexico is really fun (and cheap) - until it isn't. I'm trying not to be a Negative Nancy, but, well, after living in El Paso/Juarez for quite some time and being fairly adventurous myself (lived alone in Southern Mexico), I hesitate very much to encourage trips to the border area.

IMO.

I have concerns about the "mistaken identity" term. Is this supposed to mitigate the seriousness of the kidnapping?

 

[Marysmith]

Wow. This is horrifying. I sure hope they are all ok medically and will be found soon.

 

[Ceska]

How tragic. Apparently traveling there for cosmetic surgery, just that itself is a huge risk (cheap medical services in Mexico). <modsnip> I read that one of the four had previously stated that perhaps they should not be going down there.

Four US citizens kidnapped in Mexico ID’d as friends from SC traveling for ‘tummy tuck’

The four Americans — who remain missing — were identified as Latavia “Tay” McGee, Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown and Eric James Williams by family members.

nypost.com

 

[Ceska]

Wow. This is horrifying. I sure hope they are all ok medically and will be found soon.

Sadly, if you watch the video, 3 of them were literally limp while being tossed into the back of the pickup truck.

 

[Marysmith]

Sadly, if you watch the video, 3 of them were literally limp while being tossed into the back of the pickup truck.

I didn’t…

 

[WingsOverTX]

Sadly, if you watch the video, 3 of them were literally limp while being tossed into the back of the pickup truck.

Appears to me the three men she was traveling with are injured (shot) & any of them could be dead then or now. So kidnapping & murder, possibly. An innocent bystander was killed.

For years, Matamoros has been a stronghold for various feuding criminal organizations, particularly the Gulf Cartel, which has used the city as a key pipeline for moving cocaine, meth and fentanyl across the border into Texas — and from there across the U.S.

Since 2010, when drug wars first started to break out between the factions, the city has been under unofficial control of the Gulf Cartel.

The state of Tamaulipas is considered one of the most violent places in Mexico. As recently as October the U.S. State Department issued a "Level 4: Do Not Travel" advisory, citing crime and kidnapping.

https://www.npr.org/2023/03/06/1161380767/americans-kidnapped-mexico-matamoros

 

[dotr]

Natalie Neysa Alund rbbm

2 kidnapped Americans found dead in Mexico, 2 survivors have returned to the US; victims identified: Updates

Two of four Americans missing since their abduction after crossing the border into Mexico have been found dead; two others are alive. Updates.

www.usatoday.com

''A woman driving in Matamoros who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisal told the Associated Press she witnessed what appeared to be the shooting and abduction: The white minivan was hit by another vehicle near an intersection, then gunfire rang out, the woman said. Another SUV rolled up, and several armed men hopped out.''

“All of a sudden (the gunmen) were in front of us,” she said. “I entered a state of shock, nobody honked their horn, nobody moved. Everybody must have been thinking the same thing, ‘If we move they will see us, or they might shoot us.’”

''Who are the Americans kidnapped in Mexico? What to know about victims​

Law enforcement has not released the identities of the American victims, but Zalandria Brown of Florence, South Carolina, said she has been in contact with the FBI and local officials after learning that her younger brother, Zindell Brown, is one of the four victims.''

''Zalandria Brown said her brother, who lives in Myrtle Beach, and two friends had accompanied a third friend who was going to Mexico for a tummy tuck surgery. A doctor who advertises such surgeries in Matamoros did not answer calls seeking comment.

Brown said the group was extremely close and they all made the trip in part to help split up the driving duties. They were aware of the dangers in Mexico, she added, and her brother had expressed some misgivings.

“Zindell kept saying, ‘We shouldn’t go down,’” Brown said.''

''A video posted to social media Friday showed men with assault rifles and tan body armor loading the four people into the bed of a white pickup in broad daylight.
One was alive and sitting up, but the others appeared either dead or wounded. At least one person appeared to lift his head from the pavement before being dragged to the truck.''

 

[Simply Southern]

How tragic. Apparently traveling there for cosmetic surgery, just that itself is a huge risk (cheap medical services in Mexico). There is no place in that country any more that is safe, no place. I read that one of the four had previously stated that perhaps they should not be going down there.

Four US citizens kidnapped in Mexico ID’d as friends from SC traveling for ‘tummy tuck’

The four Americans — who remain missing — were identified as Latavia “Tay” McGee, Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown and Eric James Williams by family members.

nypost.com

I've had several friends consider going to Mexico for surgery, especially gastric sleeve before insurance agreed to cover. Our local doctors have spoken out, they will not treat those that go to Mexico, to many have complications.

I agree about the safety in this area. There are much safer entry points.

I hope, they are found soon. Everyday is critical, especially if they are injured.

Moo...

 

[dotr]

Four Americans kidnapped at gunpoint during trip to Mexico are iD'd

Latavia 'Tay' McGee, left, had traveled down to Mexico on Wednesday for a tummy tuck procedure. She was joined by her cousin Shaeed Woodard, right, and Zindell Brown and Eric James Williams

www.dailymail.co.uk

Latavia 'Tay' McGee had traveled down to Mexico on Wednesday for a tummy tuck procedure before she was kidnapped at gunpoint by a drug cartel on Friday

McGee was joined by her cousin, Shaeed Woodard, as well as two friends for the trip


McGee is seen sitting on the ground after the vehicle she and three other U.S. citizens were traveling on was shot at by kidnappers moments after they drove into the Mexican border city of Matamoros

 

[sds71]

@seungminkim

CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico (AP) — Mexican governor: Missing Americans found; 2 dead; 1 wounded; 1 unharmed.

 

[dotr]

Survivors of deadly Mexico abduction return to America

The surviving Americans were sped to the border near Brownsville, the southernmost tip of Texas, in a convoy of ambulances and SUVs escorted by Mexican military Humvees and National Guard trucks with mounted .50-caliber machine guns.

www.kctv5.com

'Mexican governor: Missing Americans found; 2 dead; 1 wounded; 1 unharmed'​

 

[Simply Southern]

Survivors of deadly Mexico abduction return to America

The surviving Americans were sped to the border near Brownsville, the southernmost tip of Texas, in a convoy of ambulances and SUVs escorted by Mexican military Humvees and National Guard trucks with mounted .50-caliber machine guns.

www.kctv5.com

'Mexican governor: Missing Americans found; 2 dead; 1 wounded; 1 unharmed'​

Heartbreaking. I hope the families were notified prior to the media.

 

[CocoChanel]

Of the 2 survivors, one wounded, one unharmed.
Americans kidnapped in Mexico found; 2 dead, 1 hurt and 1 unharmed, official says

I am wondering if the one who was unharmed is the female victim.
Also assuming that the 2 deceased victims of this awful attack were the 2 gentlemen who were “limp” in the original video. Thinking they succumbed to the gun shots during the initial attack. What a horrific tragedy.

ETA - after watching the short and blurred video, the perpetrators do not appear to be in any hurry to carry out this crime. They seem very relaxed in their movements, no rushing or urgency from what I can tell. That says a lot….maybe the criminals were very well practiced in this maneuver, and/or they felt very comfortable carrying this out in full daylight view of cameras and passer-bys, one who died as a result. It is very concerning, though not surprising, that this sort of thing happens so close to us.

 

[Simply Southern]

Of the 2 survivors, one wounded, one unharmed.
Americans kidnapped in Mexico found; 2 dead, 1 hurt and 1 unharmed, official says

I am wondering if the one who was unharmed is the female victim.
Also assuming that the 2 deceased victims of this awful attack were the 2 gentlemen who were “limp” in the original video. Thinking they succumbed to the gun shots during the initial attack. What a horrific tragedy.

ETA - after watching the short and blurred video, the perpetrators do not appear to be in any hurry to carry out this crime. They seem very relaxed in their movements, no rushing or urgency from what I can tell. That says a lot….maybe the criminals were very well practiced in this maneuver, and/or they felt very comfortable carrying this out in full daylight view of cameras and passer-bys, one who died as a result. It is very concerning, though not surprising, that this sort of thing happens so close to us.

I know my friends considering going to MX for surgery, were told to bring cash, after an initial wired deposit.

I wonder if this could be a set up or inside source at the clinic.
Moo...

 

[citizen_sleuth]

Of the 2 survivors, one wounded, one unharmed.
Americans kidnapped in Mexico found; 2 dead, 1 hurt and 1 unharmed, official says

I am wondering if the one who was unharmed is the female victim.
Also assuming that the 2 deceased victims of this awful attack were the 2 gentlemen who were “limp” in the original video. Thinking they succumbed to the gun shots during the initial attack. What a horrific tragedy.

ETA - after watching the short and blurred video, the perpetrators do not appear to be in any hurry to carry out this crime. They seem very relaxed in their movements, no rushing or urgency from what I can tell. That says a lot….maybe the criminals were very well practiced in this maneuver, and/or they felt very comfortable carrying this out in full daylight view of cameras and passer-bys, one who died as a result. It is very concerning, though not surprising, that this sort of thing happens so close to us.

I've done a lot of work with identifying Jane & John Does found near the border so I'm pretty familiar with the cartel violence in the area and there is nothing unusual about the brazen nature of the kidnapping.

In Tamaulipas, there are six cartel factions currently fighting for control -- four factions of the Gulf Cartel (Los Ciclones, Los Metros, Los Rojos and Las Panteras) and two factions of the Los Zetas cartel (Vieja Escuela and the Northeast Cartel). In addition to fighting amongst themselves for control of drug smuggling routes, the cartels are also fighting with the Mexican military.

The cartels themselves use military tactics to defend their trafficking routes and to extort migrants, deploying caravans of heavily-armed men to patrol the areas. They frequently set up blockades similar to the legitimate Mexican military checkpoints to prevent attacks on their supply lines by rival cartels and target migrants for extortion. They also patrol the territories under their control to keep the civilians in line -- most cartels have now adopted the operational model pioneered by the Los Zetas cartel, which involves establishing control of local criminal enterprises (typically by demanding businesses pay the cartel a fee to continue to operate) in the territories they are using for international drug trafficking.

The cartels will kidnap migrants who have been deported from the United States or are forced to wait in Mexico while their asylum claim is processed and demand their relatives pay a ransom, typically between $7,000 and $10,000, to secure their release. They also have been known to commandeer civilian vehicles, particularly those suspected of carrying migrants, along these routes. For example, in 2022, a bus carrying over 40 migrants from Venezuela and Colombia was attacked by a caravan of three cartel vehicles near Ciudad Juárez and 23 of the migrants on board, including women and children, were kidnapped at gunpoint. Fortunately all of the abducted migrants were later rescued by State Public Security Secretariat (SSPE) and the National Guard.

 

[dotr]

March 7, 2023 - 2 Americans dead, 2 found alive in Mexico kidnapping

Two of the four Americans who authorities say were kidnapped in Mexico have been found dead, according to the Tamaulipas governor. One of the two survivors is severely injured, a US official said.

www.cnn.com

''Americans were located at clinic in Mexico, US official says​

The four Americans who authorities say were kidnapped in Mexico were located at what appears to be a medical clinic in the border city of Matamoros, a US official familiar with the ongoing investigation told CNN.
Two of the kidnapping victims were found alive, and two of them were found dead.
One of the two survivors is severely injured, a US official familiar with the ongoing investigation told CNN.''

What we know about the 4 Americans kidnapped in Mexico

On Tuesday, Mexican and U.S. officials said two of the four U.S. citizens who went missing have been found dead and two are alive.

www.cbsnews.com

''The consulate in Matamoros has posted at least four security alerts since February 2020, warning of drug cartel violence, crime, kidnappings and clashes involving armed groups.

Three U.S. siblings disappeared near Matamoros in October 2014 and were later found shot and burned. They had disappeared two weeks earlier while visiting their father in Mexico. Their parents said they had been abducted by men dressed in police uniforms identifying themselves as "Hercules," a tactical security unit in the violent border city.

Victims of violence in Matamoros and other large border cities of Tamaulipas often go uncounted, because the cartels have a history of disappearing the bodies of their victims. Local media often avoid reporting on such incidents out of safety concerns.''

ETA Ws thread for 3 siblings killed in Mexico..

Found Deceased - Mexico - Alex, 22, & Jose Alvarado, 21, Erica Rivera, 26, El Control, 13 Oct 2014

Texas Woman, 2 Brothers Missing In Mexico EL CONTROL, Mexico (October 27, 2014) A Texas woman says her adult daughter and sons are still missing in northern Mexico, two weeks after witnesses saw armed men take them. Raquel Alvarado says witnesses saw armed men take her daughter Erica Alvarado...

www.websleuths.com

 

[Simply Southern]

I've done a lot of work with identifying Jane & John Does found near the border so I'm pretty familiar with the cartel violence in the area and there is nothing unusual about the brazen nature of the kidnapping.

In Tamaulipas, there are six cartel factions currently fighting for control -- four factions of the Gulf Cartel (Los Ciclones, Los Metros, Los Rojos and Las Panteras) and two factions of the Los Zetas cartel (Vieja Escuela and the Northeast Cartel). In addition to fighting amongst themselves for control of drug smuggling routes, the cartels are also fighting with the Mexican military.

The cartels themselves use military tactics to defend their trafficking routes and to extort migrants, deploying caravans of heavily-armed men to patrol the areas. They frequently set up blockades similar to the legitimate Mexican military checkpoints to prevent attacks on their supply lines by rival cartels and target migrants for extortion. They also patrol the territories under their control to keep the civilians in line -- most cartels have now adopted the operational model pioneered by the Los Zetas cartel, which involves establishing control of local criminal enterprises (typically by demanding businesses pay the cartel a fee to continue to operate) in the territories they are using for international drug trafficking.

The cartels will kidnap migrants who have been deported from the United States or are forced to wait in Mexico while their asylum claim is processed and demand their relatives pay a ransom, typically between $7,000 and $10,000, to secure their release. They also have been known to commandeer civilian vehicles, particularly those suspected of carrying migrants, along these routes. For example, in 2022, a bus carrying over 40 migrants from Venezuela and Colombia was attacked by a caravan of three cartel vehicles near Ciudad Juárez and 23 of the migrants on board, including women and children, were kidnapped at gunpoint. Fortunately all of the abducted migrants were later rescued by State Public Security Secretariat (SSPE) and the National Guar

Thank you for your work identifying those missing.

 

[Erutan]

The woman was going for a budget tummy tuck.
It sounds like they were witnesses to a cartel shootout ?
Horrifying, esp. that footage.
Holy crapola.

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11830957/Two-four-Americans-kidnapped-Mexico-dead.html
Zalandria said her brother, who lives in Myrtle Beach, and two friends had accompanied McGee who was going to Mexico for a tummy tuck surgery.

She said the group was extremely close and that they all made the trip in part to help split up the driving duties.

They were aware of the dangers in Mexico, Zalandria noted, and her brother had even expressed some misgivings before the trip.

RIP to the deceased.