Monitoring Desk
MEXICO CITY: Mexican and the United States (US) authorities have said they had been working to locate four US nationals who were shot at by gunmen in the northern Mexico and then kidnapped shortly after crossing the border.
The four unidentified American citizens were in a white minivan with North Carolina licence plates when they entered Matamoros, Tamaulipas, on Friday, the United States embassy in Mexico said, seeking public help in identifying the kidnappers.
The embassy said the armed persons fired on the passengers shortly after their vehicle crossed into Mexico and then herded them into another vehicle before fleeing.
US cautions citizens against travelling to Tamaulipas
The US State Department has advised American citizens not to travel to Tamaulipas, partly due to the threat of kidnapping. The city of Matamoros borders Texas from Brownsville.
A Mexican authority told Reuters that one woman and three men were kidnapped. “An innocent Mexican died in the incident,” said US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar in a statement.
Mexico’s president said the US nationals had crossed into Mexico to buy medication.
“I believe it would be resolved, I hope so,” President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said at a regular news conference on Monday, including that Mexico’s public security ministry was working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to locate the missing US citizens.
At a news briefing in Washington, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said US law enforcers were in touch with the Mexican officials.
She said, “our thoughts are with the families of these individuals, and we stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance. We will continue coordinating with Mexican authorities and pushing them to bring those responsible to justice.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has announced a $50,000 reward for the return of the four kidnapped citizens and the arrest of those involved.
