2 Americans kidnapped in Mexico found dead and 2 found alive, Tamaulipas governor says

By Karol Suarez, David Williams, Jose Lesh, Amanda Jackson and Elizabeth Wolfe | CNN

Two of the four Americans kidnapped by armed gunmen in a Mexico border city on Friday were found dead and two were found alive, Mexican officials said Tuesday.

In a phone call with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador that was played at a news conference, Tamaulipas Gov. Américo Villarreal Anaya said “ambulances and security personnel” were now attending to and giving medical support to the survivors.

The four Americans were located at what appears to be a medical clinic in Matamoros, a US official familiar with the ongoing investigation told CNN. One of the two survivors is severely injured, the official said.

Tamaulipas Attorney General Irving Barrios also confirmed the developments in a tweet.

“Derived from the joint search actions, the four American citizens deprived of their liberty last Friday were found,” he said. “Unfortunately, two dead. Investigation and intelligence work continue to capture those responsible. Details will be given later.”

The news comes days after the group was abducted at gunpoint in Matamoros in what is believed to be a case of mistaken identity.

The four Americans were a tight-knit group of friends traveling from South Carolina to Mexico so one of them — a mother of six — could undergo a medical procedure across the border, two family members told CNN. Once across the border, they were fired upon by unidentified gunmen, “placed in a vehicle and taken from the scene by armed men,” according to the FBI.

Investigators believe the Americans were targeted by a Mexican cartel that likely mistook them for Haitian drug smugglers, a US official familiar with the ongoing investigation tells CNN. The US citizens have no concerning criminal history that has been identified by investigators, the official said.

An innocent Mexican bystander was also killed in the encounter, US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar said.

Latavia “Tay” Washington McGee, 33, drove to Mexico with Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown and their friend Eric Williams for the procedure, but she never made it to her doctor’s appointment on Friday, her mother Barbara Burgess told CNN.

Their abduction highlights the ongoing violence that has plagued some Mexican cities during the long-running Mexican drug war as well as the growing business of “medical tourism.”

Matamoros, a city in the state of Tamaulipas, has a population of more than 500,000 people and is located just across the Rio Grande from Brownsville, Texas. The US State Department has issued a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” advisory for US citizens thinking of going to Tamaulipas, citing crime and kidnapping.

Federal and local Mexican authorities were participating in the effort to locate the Americans and had set up a joint task force to communicate with US officials, Barrios Mojica said.

Mother was traveling for medical procedure

This trip was the second time Washington McGee, a mother of six children, had gone to Mexico for a medical procedure, her mother said.

She traveled to the country for surgery about two to three years ago, Burgess said. But this time, Burgess said, she was informed by the FBI on Sunday that her daughter had been kidnapped and was in danger.

“They said, if she calls me, to call them,” she said.

Receipts found in the group’s vehicle indicated the Americans were in Mexico for medical procedures, a US official with knowledge of the investigation told CNN.

Mexican President López Obrador said Monday that the group had crossed the border to “buy medicines” and assured the “whole government” is working to resolve the case.

A close friend of Washington McGee who did not want to be identified told CNN the trip was for a cosmetic surgery. The group booked a hotel in Brownsville and planned to drive into Matamoros for the surgery, according to the friend.

Mexico has become a particularly popular destination for “medical tourism,” attracting travelers who may be seeking cheaper alternatives or medical treatments that are unapproved or unavailable in the US. But the CDC warns the growing trend can carry dangerous risks depending on the destination and facility, including infection and possible post-procedure complications.

The group of missing Americans grew up together in South Carolina and were bonded “like glue,” Brown’s sister Zalandria Brown told CNN. She added that she and her brother are also close.

“Zindell is like my shadow, he’s like my son, he’s like my hip bone. We’re just tight like that,” she said.

‘We don’t know if she is dead or alive’

Washington McGee’s aunt, Mary McFadden, told CNN that when the family hadn’t heard from the group of friends by Sunday, they began searching online for any news related to their travel destination. Then, the family saw a video McFadden described as showing her niece being kidnapped.

“We recognized her and her blonde hair,” McFadden said. She said she also recognized her niece’s clothing from a live video Washington McGee had posted to Facebook earlier Friday.

“This happened in plain daylight. We don’t know if she is dead or alive. The last picture we saw, she was walking alive,” McFadden said.