After kidnapping in Mexico: two US citizens dead, two found alive 1 ex-Miss, 1 Swiss passport and 200-year-old wine – film theft in Spain

After the kidnapping of four US citizens in Mexico, two have been found dead. A woman and a man with an injured leg have been rescued alive, Mexican authorities reported Tuesday (local time). Security forces found them all in a wooden house near the border town of Matamoros, said the governor of the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, Américo Villarreal. The communications director of the US government’s National Security Council, John Kirby, spoke of a “terrible incident”. Attacks on US citizens are unacceptable.

The Americans – three men and a woman – were attacked and kidnapped by gunmen in Matamoros on Friday. A suspect who was tending them was arrested during the deployment of the soldiers and police, Mexican authorities said at a press conference in Mexico City. The reasons for the kidnapping remain unclear. A criminal group may have confused the victims, Tamaulipas Attorney General Irving Barrios said. The investigations continued.

The US State Department on Tuesday confirmed the deaths of the two US citizens in Washington and said the other two had since been returned to the United States. Work is still underway to repatriate the remains of the two dead, ministry spokesman Ned Price said. The investigation into the case is still in its infancy. According to Kirby, the US government is committed to ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.

Matamoros is located in violent Tamaulipas, directly across from the Texas town of Brownsville, on the border of the Rio Grande River. Especially the Cártel del Golfo (golf cartel) is active there. According to authorities, a Mexican woman also died as a victim of the incident. A video of the exact time of the kidnapping circulated on social media.

The Americans had crossed the border for cosmetic surgery, the media said, citing relatives, and Mexico confirmed that. Authorities said no ransom was demanded for their release.

The US Federal Police FBI sounded the alarm on Sunday. She offered a $50,000 reward for information about the kidnapping. Before it became clear that the victims were US citizens, local authorities downplayed the attack as an “isolated incident” in a gang war between rival groups. More than 112,000 people are missing in Mexico.

Mexico has been suffering from a wave of violence for years. Last year, 31,936 murders were registered in the Latin American country with a population of 126 million. Numerous drug cartels and other criminal groups vie for control of areas of influence and smuggling routes. They often have ties to corrupt politicians and security forces. Most murders are never solved. (sda/dpa)