4 Americans Kidnapped in Mexico
Four Americans were kidnapped in Mexico after their van was caught in a crossfire with video showing multiple armed men escorting the four into vehicles at gunpoint. The kidnapping occurred on Friday in Matamoros, Mexico just on the other side of the border from Brownsville, Texas where one bystander was killed in the crossfire. The four Americans were reportedly traveling from South Carolina to Mexico for one of the members to undergo a cosmetic surgery when the kidnapping occurred.
One of the Americans is reported to be a mother of six children. Her family spoke to the media explaining that they warned her that the trip was dangerous. The rising cost of medical procedures in the U.S. over the years has made Mexico a popular spot for “medical tourism” in which Americans travel outside of the country to undergo cheaper medical procedures.
The FBI has reportedly been working with the Mexican government to ensure the four American safe return home. The U.S. State Department has placed this area of Mexico on a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” advisory due to reports crime and kidnapping Americans for ransom. The FBI has since offered a $50,000 reward for the return of the four who were kidnapped and the arrest of the culprits.
Update: In a tragic update on this story, it has been reported that two of the four American kidnapped have been found dead. The other two have been located alive with one of the survivors suffering serious injury.
-The Real McCoy