Just In: Four Americans kidnapped From Minivan In Mexico – Says FBI

According to a statement released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Monday, four Americans have been abducted in northeastern Mexico.

On March 3, unidentified gunmen opened fire on the US citizens as they drove a white minivan across the border into the Tamaulipas state of Matamoros.

Armed individuals “took all four Americans from the site in a vehicle,” according to the FBI.
American and Mexican law enforcement agencies are probing the event.

The US State Department recommends travelers not to travel to six states in Mexico because of “crime and kidnapping.” One of those states is Tamaulipas.

 

The FBI is seeking aid from the public and offering a $50,000 (£41,620) reward for information leading to the return of the victims and the arrests of those involved.

According to the FBI, who did not name the Americans, they were traveling in a vehicle with North Carolina license plates.

Just across the border from Brownsville, Texas, is Matamoros.

“Organized crime activity,” including gun fights, murder, armed robberies, carjacking, kidnapping, forced disappearances, extortion, and sexual assault, is widespread throughout the northern border, notably in the state of Tamaulipas, according to the State Department.

In an area where local law enforcement has been active, criminal gangs have targeted buses as well as cars traveling through the state, frequently stealing passengers and demanding ransom payments.