(News) —The governor of Tamaulipas, Américo Villarreal, confirmed this Tuesday that two of the four Americans kidnapped in Mexico were found dead.
During a phone call at President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s morning press conference, the governor said that of the four people kidnapped, two were found dead, one person is injured and the other is “alive.”
Villareal added that “ambulances and security personnel” are attending and providing medical support to the survivors.
The information was also confirmed by the Attorney General of Tamaulipas, Irving Barrios, who added on Twitter: “Derived from the joint search actions, the four US citizens deprived of their liberty were found last Friday. Unfortunately two dead. Investigation and intelligence work continues to capture those responsible. Details will be given later.”
The four Americans kidnapped in Mexico on Friday were a close-knit group of friends traveling from South Carolina so that one of them – a mother of six – could undergo a medical procedure across the border, two relatives told News.
Latavia “Tay” Washington McGee, 33, traveled to Mexico with Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown and their friend Eric to have the procedure but never made it to the doctor’s appointment Friday, her mother Barbara Burgess told News.
On Sunday, Burgess said she was informed by the FBI that her daughter had been kidnapped and was in danger. “They told me that if he called me to call them,” she said.
The missing Americans arrived by car in the border city of Matamoros and were shot by an unidentified gunman and “put into a vehicle and driven away by armed men,” according to the FBI.
An innocent Mexican bystander also died in the attack, according to statements by the US ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar.
Investigators believe the Americans were mistakenly targeted by a Mexican cartel that likely mistook them for Haitian drug traffickers, a US official familiar with the ongoing investigation told News.
The US citizens had no concerning criminal records that have been identified by investigators, the source said.
The group of friends — who were “glue” together — grew up together in South Carolina, Brown’s sister, Zalandria Brown, told News.
“Zindell is like my shadow, he’s like my son, he’s like my hipbone. We’re that close,” the sister said.
This was the second time Washington McGee had gone to Mexico for a medical procedure, his mother said. About two or three years ago, Burgess said, her daughter traveled to the country for surgery.
Mexico has become a popular destination for “medical tourism,” attracting travelers who may be looking for cheaper alternatives or medical treatments that aren’t approved or available in the U.S. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The CDC warns that this growing trend can carry dangerous risks depending on the destination and the center, such as infections and possible complications after the procedure.
The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, said Monday that the group had crossed the border to “buy medicine.”
Mexican and US authorities have released few details about how the kidnappings unfolded, but footage obtained by News appears to show fragments of the scene where the kidnapping took place.
Footage obtained by News shows the vehicle the Americans are believed to be traveling in collided with another van before they were led away at gunpoint.
The FBI declined to confirm the authenticity of the images, but News has geolocated it and confirmed its authenticity with a US official with knowledge of the investigation.
The footage shows a woman watching and then sitting next to three people lying on the ground outside a white van. All the van doors are open. It is not clear if the four people who appear in the images are US citizens.
Next, the woman appears to have been lifted onto the bed of a white van, next to which several people are seen lying on the street, the images show.
A photo shows that an ambulance arrived, but it is unclear if medical attention was provided.
Video also obtained by News shows a woman and other unidentified people being roughly loaded into a white van. News has confirmed that the video matches the incident, but has not independently confirmed that it is the four Americans in the video.
The video shows the woman being pulled or pushed into the bed of the truck by two unidentified people as a third man, visibly armed, watches. The three men then appear to drag at least two people onto the bed of the truck, video shows.
Mary McFadden, Washington McGee’s aunt, told News that, hearing nothing from the group, the family began searching the Internet for news from the area where the friends had traveled. That’s when they found a video of McGee being kidnapped.
“We recognized her and her blonde hair,” McFadden said. He also recognized her niece’s clothing from a live video that Washington McGee had posted on Facebook early Friday.
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