On Friday, March 3, four Americans were kidnapped by heavily armed gunmen in Matamoros, Mexico, after traveling in a white minivan with North Carolina license plates to cross the border for a tummy tuck procedure. They were kidnapped by members of the Gulf Cartel, who have since released an apology letter addressing their violence toward the Americans. However, U.S. authorities believe that the group was targeted by the cartel after possibly being mistaken for Haitian drug gang members.
According to ABC News, those kidnapped have been identified as Latavia McGee, Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown and Eric James Williams.
Two have been discovered dead, and the other two have been taken to a hospital in Brownsville, Texas, for medical treatment after Mexican law enforcement worked with the U.S. government to coordinate a safe return. According to CNN, one of the survivors is seriously injured, suffering from three gunshot wounds to the legs.
This news prompted some to call on the Biden administration to take strong action against the drug cartels across the border. However, in response during a press conference, Mexico President Andres Manuel López Obrador implied that he opposed this, saying, “We don’t meddle to try to see what U.S. criminal gangs distribute fentanyl in the United States.”
The U.S. Department of State has 30 of 32 states in Mexico on travel advisory lists. Tamaulipas State—where Matamoros is located—is under its “Do Not Travel” section, citing crime and kidnapping risks.
“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,” its website warns. “Criminal groups target public and private passenger buses, as well as private automobiles traveling through Tamaulipas, often taking passengers and demanding ransom payments.”
Matamoros rests between the warring factions of the Gulf Cartel, contributing to the already high rate of violence in Mexico. According to visionofhumanity.org, the homicide rate in Mexico is 26.6 deaths per 100,000 people—a record number for the country.
The violence against Americans in Mexico has sparked outrage, specifically among Republicans, due to persistent calls for border security, arguing that it is a national security threat.
“Praying for the Woodard & Brown families & thankful for the safe return of Latavia Washington McGee & Eric Williams,” Republican Congressman Byron Donalds wrote on Twitter. “Biden has empowered cartels giving them operational control of the border & Americans are dying. We must recommit to border security so this never happens again.”
However, Democrats counter that border security has always been part of their political agenda.
“We’ve been focused on taking big actions to fight drug traffickers and to go after the financial backing of cartels and their attempt to bring fentanyl into the country,” Spokesperson for the National Security Council John Kirby said. “[The Biden administration is] working closely with Mexico to prosecute dangerous drug traffickers and of course rallying the global community to address this crisis.”
Reinforced by this news, those traveling to Mexico should take extra precautions to ensure their safety.
