According to Villarreal, a 24-year-old Tamaulipas man named Jose N “was found guarding the victims” and was taken into custody. Uncertain accusations were made against the man.
At a presidential press conference on Tuesday morning, the governor phoned in to announce the fatalities.
Ned Price, a spokesperson for the State Department, said during a briefing on Tuesday that the survivors had indeed arrived back in the United States and that “we are working to repatriate the remains of the two Americans who were murdered in this incident.” He said that the victims’ relatives are receiving aid from the United States.
What we know about the discovery of the victims
According to Villarreal, the Americans were discovered early on Tuesday in a wooden home near La Lagunona in Matamoros.
According to a tweet from the attorney general Irving Barrios Mojica, the Americans were located through “combined search activities.”
Villarreal claimed that in order to “cause confusion and to impede the rescue work,” the Americans had been taken to a number of locations, including a clinic.
Other individuals connected to the case are still being sought after, he claimed.
The victims’ sentiments were extended by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador earlier on Tuesday.
“We are very sorry that this happened in our country, and we send our condolences to the families of the victims, friends, and the United States government, and we will continue doing our work to guarantee peace and tranquility,” he said.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department is “working closely” with the State Department and offered his condolences.
“Zindell kept saying, ‘We shouldn’t go down,’” Brown told the AP.
At a news briefing in Washington on Monday, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said the Biden administration was “closely following the assault and kidnapping of four U.S. citizens.”
Brown revealed that her Myrtle Beach-based brother had joined the trip to follow a friend who was going to Mexico for surgery.
She added that her brother was hesitant to accompany them because of the probable risks in Mexico.
“These sorts of attacks are unacceptable,” she said.
“We will continue to coordinate with Mexico and push them to bring those responsible to justice,” Jean-Pierre said.
In a statement released on Monday, Ken Salazar, the US ambassador to Mexico, said that a “innocent Mexican citizen was tragically died” during the kidnapping.
At a press conference, President López Obrador said that the Americans were in Mexico to purchase medication, a regular practise for those looking to cross the southern border for cheaper medication.
Due to “crime and kidnapping,” the State Department has issued a “Do Not Travel” advisory for the state of Tamaulipas. According to the report, organised crime activity is widespread in Ciudad Victoria and along the border, involving gunfights, armed robberies, and kidnappings.
The warning states that criminal organisations frequently kidnap passengers from public and private passenger buses, as well as private cars passing through Tamaulipas, and demand ransom payments.
