Rosa Palumbo '25
Update: Mexican officials say two U.S. citizens missing since their violent abduction last week have been found dead, while two others have been found alive, with one wounded.
On March 6, 2023, four U.S. citizens attempted to cross the U.S-Mexico border, which resulted in the individuals getting kidnapped. On that day, it was confirmed that a Mexican citizen was killed in the incident.
On March 10, a video was uploaded on Twitter that shows the moment when the individuals were kidnapped.
One woman was walking on her own before she was eventually forced into a white pickup truck. Armed men with long guns and bulletproof vests were seen dragging many people into the vehicle. The conditions of the individuals are unknown but the video uploaded shows that some of them may be injured.
Outlets are reporting that the Americans were kidnapped at gunpoint and that an apparently innocent Mexican citizen died in the attack.
The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, established that the individuals crossed the border to buy medicine, but ended up caught between two armed groups.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on March 6, that the White House is “closely following” the situation.
“These sorts of attacks are unacceptable… Our thoughts are with the families of these individuals and we stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance,” says Jean-Pierre.
On that Friday, March 10, shootouts were so bad that the U.S. Consulate issued an alert about the danger, and local authorities warned people to shelter in place. Mexico also reminded U.S. citizens that this part of Mexico was under a “Level 4: Do Not Travel,” which is the highest level warning in the U.S. State Department travel advisory system.
Police reported that people were killed and injured Friday, but the number is still unknown.
The U.S. travel department sent out a warning for Tamaulipas state, warning U.S. citizens to not travel in that specific area.
In Mexico, there have been at least four security alerts since February 2020, warning of drug cartels, crime, violence, and kidnapping involving individuals in armed groups. This information may be related to the current situation.
The FBI said that the individuals were in a van that contained a North Carolina license plate but there are no further details of who they were or where they came from.
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