Four US residents have been kidnapped shortly after crossing the border into Mexico by armed gunmen, and authorities from each international locations have been working carefully to search out victims.
(Reuters Archive)
Mexican and US authorities have stated they have been working to urgently safe the secure return of 4 US residents shot at and kidnapped by gunmen after crossing the border into Mexico.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) provided on Monday a $50,000 reward for assist discovering the unidentified victims and arresting the perpetrators of the incident, wherein a Mexican nationwide was killed.
The US residents crossed into Matamoros, in Tamaulipas state, on Friday in a white minivan with North Carolina license plates, the FBI stated in an announcement launched by the US embassy in Mexico.
“Shortly after crossing into Mexico, unidentified gunmen fired upon the passengers in the (minivan). All four Americans were placed in a vehicle and taken from the scene by armed men,” the FBI stated.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stated the victims have been believed to have entered the nation to purchase medicines and acquired caught up in a confrontation between felony teams.
The Mexican safety ministry was working with the FBI to search out them, he instructed reporters.
The US ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salzar, stated in an announcement that an “innocent Mexican citizen was tragically killed” within the incident.
“US law enforcement officials from numerous agencies are working with Mexican authorities at all levels of government to secure the safe return of our compatriots,” he added.
The White House stated it was carefully following the case.
“These sorts of attacks are unacceptable,” spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre stated.
“Our thoughts are with the families of these individuals,” she stated, including that the US administration was coordinating with Mexican authorities.
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Organised crime, violence
Matamoros, positioned throughout the US border from Brownsville, Texas, has been beset by violence linked to drug trafficking and different organised crime.
Tamaulipas’s highways are thought of among the many most harmful in Mexico because of the risk of kidnapping and extortion by felony gangs.
The US consulate in Matamoros had issued an alert on Friday warning of police exercise in reference to a taking pictures within the metropolis.
US authorities workers had been instructed to keep away from the realm till additional discover, it stated.
The US State Department advises towards journey to Tamaulipas as a consequence of crime and kidnapping.
“Organized crime activity – including gun battles, murder, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, forced disappearances, extortion, and sexual assault – is common along the northern border and in Ciudad Victoria,” the state capital, in line with a US journey advisory.
“Criminal groups target public and private passenger buses, as well as private automobiles travelling through Tamaulipas, often taking passengers and demanding ransom payments,” it warned.
Despite the hazards, Matamoros, positioned on the banks of the Rio Grande River separating the 2 international locations, is a serious stopping level for migrants hoping to enter the United States.
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Source: TRTWorld and businesses
Source: www.trtworld.com
