Two Americans abducted at gunpoint at the US-Mexico border by ‘Gulf Cartel’ have been found dead, while two others have been found alive – but one wounded.
Latavia “Tay” McGee, her cousin Shaeed Woodard, and their friends Zindell Brown and Eric Williams were supposed to be traveling south so McGee could get a cheap tummy tuck when they got caught in gunfire between two gangs on March 3.
Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villarreal Anaya confirmed the condition of the four Americans through a phone call during President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s press conference on Tuesday.
The Tamaulipas state attorney general said the four U.S. citizens deprived of their liberty last Friday were found about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, two are dead. Investigations and intelligence work continue to apprehend those responsible. Details will follow later.’
Governor Americo Villarreal said that a lot of attention has been paid to the incident and that medical assistance is being provided to the surviving victims.
Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villarreal Anaya confirmed the condition of four abducted Americans through a phone call during President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s press conference on Tuesday. Two are dead, two alive – one injured
Governor Americo Villarreal said that a lot of attention has been paid to the incident and that medical assistance is being provided to the surviving victims
“Following your joint work instructions we have not stopped paying attention to this issue since Friday and about an hour ago today we received word that there were indications that we had seen the four US citizens and 35 minutes ago it was fully confirmed by the officer of justice.
“Of the four, two are dead, one is injured and the other is alive.
“The ambulances and the rest of the security personnel are on their way to provide the associated transfer support and the medical support that can be (given).”
The four Americans were abducted in Mexico after crossing the border so one of them could get a cheap tummy tuck.
It believed they had been kidnapped by members of the Gulf Cartel, a notoriously violent gang led by a feared leader known as La Kena.
Mexican newspaper Milenio quotes law enforcement officials as saying they were investigating whether La Kena was involved in the arrest of McGee, her cousin and their friends.
They had traveled from Lake City, South Carolina to the border town of Matamoros to get McGee a discounted tummy tuck, according to a sister of one of the abductees, when they were caught in the crossfire of a shootout on Friday.
It remains unclear of the four who survived and who was brutally murdered. Details of the murders are also unclear at this time.
Video shows the group being thrown into the back of a van. Their whereabouts are now unknown.
Matamoros is located in the state of Tamaupilas, one of six states currently under travel warnings.
Latavia ‘Tay’ McGee had traveled to Mexico on Wednesday for a tummy tuck before being kidnapped at gunpoint by a drug cartel on Friday
McGee was accompanied by her cousin, Shaeed Woodard, (left) and friends Eric Williams (right) and Zindell Brown
They were taken into custody on Friday after being caught in the crossfire of a gunfight between two gangs.
Former Attorney General Bill Barr said US authorities should treat the gangs the same way as ISIS when negotiating the release of Americans.
La Kena or Ciclon 19, the leader of the Gulf Cartel
“They’re terrorists,” he said during an appearance on Fox News last night.
“The Mexican government is being held hostage by tens of thousands of paramilitary members of terrorist organizations that effectively control Mexico.
“It’s pretty close to a failed narco-state at this stage.
“They can use violence and large amounts of money to corrupt the government. The government has no will and no ability to deal with the cartels,” he said.
Le Kena runs the Gulf Cartel and is also known as Ciclon 19. His real name is Alberto García Vilano.
Mexican authorities have been hunting him for months, offering a reward of 2.5 million pesos for any information that could lead to his arrest.
Zalandria Brown of Florence, South Carolina, said Monday she has been in contact with the FBI and local officials after learning that her younger brother, Zindell, is one of the four victims.
A gunman acted as a lookout for his cohorts shortly after they attacked and kidnapped a minivan carrying four American occupants in the northeastern Mexican border town of Matamoros on Friday.
A map showing the six of the 32 Mexican states that the US State Department has currently listed in its strictest “no travel” category due to local cartels that may rob and/or kidnap US tourists
Mexican authorities are here investigating the white SUV in which McGee and her friends drove to the country
“This is like a bad dream you want to wake up from,” she said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press. “To see a family member get thrown into the back of a truck and dragged along, it’s just unbelievable.”
Zalandria said her brother, who lives in Myrtle Beach, and two friends had accompanied McGee to Mexico for a tummy tuck.
She said the group was very close and they all made part of the journey to help divide the driving duties.
They were aware of the dangers in Mexico, Zalandria noted, and her brother had even expressed some reservations before the trip.
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