Two Americans who escaped a horrific kidnapping in Mexico have returned home and have been sent to a hospital in Texas.
The two surviving Americans were taken to Brownsville, Texas, in ambulances escorted by law authorities over the Veterans International Bridge. They were observed exiting the bridge on the United States side of the border.
2 Americans Kidnapped in Mexico Rescued
The two were then transported to the Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville for treatment. The governor of Tamaulipas, Americo Villarreal Anaya, said earlier on Tuesday that two of the four Americans who were victims of the kidnappings had perished in the incident.
On Friday, when the four Americans crossed from Brownsville into the Mexican city of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, their car came under fire immediately after entering Mexico. Two of the victims seemed to be wounded or dead as their corpses were dragged over the pavemandwere loaded into the back of a white vehicle by armed men alleged to be members of a Mexican drug gang.
According to reports, another victim was hurt in the incident, but the fourth American remained unharmed. Ken Salazar, the US ambassador to Mexico, reports that a Mexican bystander also slain in the event.
Per Fox News, Zalandria Brown, the older sister of one of the four kidnapped victims, identified him as Zindell Brown of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. According to Brown, her brother, and two other pals accompanied a fourth friend to Mexico for a belly tuck procedure.
Family members identified the remaining three individuals as Latavia "Tay" McGee, Shadeed Woodard, and Eric James Williams, all of South Carolina. Price stated that the State Department is "providing them and their families with all relevant assistance."
US Authorities Believe Victims Were Wrongly Targeted
Attorney General Irving Barrios stated that no ransom was asked and that all indications point to the Americans being victims of mistaken identity. They were taken after the incident and located at a residence near Matamoros at about 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, according to Barrios.
A suspect who was guarding them has been apprehended. According to Barrios, autopsies are performed to ascertain the time and cause of death. After then, they will be repatriated to the United States, as per USA Today.
After a convoy of Mexican ambulances and SUVs was accompanied by Mexico military Humvees, armored vehicles, state police, and the National Guard, two survivors, one unhurt, were transferred to the United States and taken to a hospital. Eric Williams was recognized as the injured survivor.
A person familiar with the inquiry stated that federal investigators believe the Americans were wrongly targeted since there was no evidence that they were in Mexico for any reason other than a medical procedure.
According to Attorney General Merrick Garland, the two surviving victims are getting medical care in the United States. The Americans crossed the border in a minivan using North Carolina license plates, according to Mexican officials and FBI San Antonio Division Special Agent Oliver Rich. When unidentified gunmen shot upon the vehicle's passengers, the four Americans were placed in a pickup truck and driven away from the area.
A driver in Matamoros who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation told The Associated Press: She observed the shooting and kidnapping. The woman stated that the white minivan was struck by another car near an intersection, after which gunshots were heard. Several armed men exited a second vehicle, which had just arrived.
Attorney General Merrick Garland stated on Tuesday that he had been updated on the status of the abducted Americans by the FBI, which was collaborating with Mexican authorities and Justice and State Department officials. He expressed his condolences to the victims and their families.
Related Article : Mistakenly Kidnapped Americans in Mexico Found
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