Two of the four Americans that were kidnapped in Mexico have been found dead while the other two have been found alive.
As reported by ABC News, a group of American citizens crossed into Matamoros - which is in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas just south of Brownsville, Texas - in a white minivan with North Carolina plates on Friday (March 3).
They were identified as Latavia "Tay" McGee, Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown, and Eric James Williams, who traveled from South Carolina, per The Independent. However, the names of the deceased individuals have not been disclosed yet.
"Shortly after crossing into Mexico, unidentified gunmen shot the passengers of the vehicle," the embassy said, per the outlet. "The gunmen herded the four U.S. citizens into another vehicle and fled the scene with them."
McGee’s mother revealed that her daughter had traveled to Mexico to get a surgical procedure and that three friends had decided to come along to assist her with driving duties.
However, on the day of the appointment, Burgess said McGee called to say she was 15 minutes away from the doctor's office. She then called her daughter back later that day but she didn't respond.
According to ABC News, Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador alleged that the group of girls was caught in the middle of a confrontation between groups and that they "crossed the border to buy medicines in Mexico".
The governor of Tamaulipas, Americo Villarreal, devastatingly shared during a news conference that Mexico's Attorney General's office had confirmed the two deaths.
A Mexican official has also informed media reports that two men had been found dead, while another man and a woman were safe and in the hands of authorities, as shared by BBC News.
The outlet noted that Villarreal didn't reveal further information but stated that "ambulances and security personnel" were on their way to offer medical support to the survivors.
In addition to this, Obrador stated at the press conference that the country will "continue to work every day towards peace and are very sorry that this has happened in our country"
"We send our condolences to the victims' friends and family and the American people. And we will continue to work towards peace," he added.
Our thoughts are with everybody impacted by this tragic story.
