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On March 3, 2023, four American citizens who crossed the border to Matamoros, Mexico, were kidnapped. And the drug cartels are “more than likely” to blame for the violence.

 It has now been confirmed that two are dead. Shaeed Woodard, 33, and Zindell Brown,28 will be returned to the U.S. after autopsies are completed.

Both survivors were identified. Eric Williams has a leg wound and Latavia Washington McGee is unharmed. Williams and McGee were returned to the U.S. Today.

 They were taken to a Brownsville hospital accompanied by a convoy of Mexican ambulances and SUVs escorted by Mexican military Humvees, armored vehicles, state police and the National Guard. 

Attorney General Merrick Garland claimed Tuesday that the Mexican drug cartels are responsible. 

Referring generally to the violence that Mexican drug cartels have wrought, Garland said that the DEA and FBI are doing everything possible to dismantle and disrupt and ultimately prosecute the leaders of the cartels and the entire networks they depend on. 

Kidnapped Americans on the way to get a tummy tuck

Authorities believe the Americans were mistakenly targeted. And that the group was in Mexico for a cosmetic medical procedure.

Zalandria Brown’s brother Zindell Brown was one of the two Americans killed. The group drove from South Carolina so one of them could get a tummy tuck in Matamoros. 

“This is like a bad dream you wish you could wake up from,” Zalandria told the AP. “To see a member of your family thrown in the back of a truck and dragged, it is just unbelievable."

Federal investigators are working with other federal and international partners to determine the facts of what happened and hold those responsible accountable for their crimes.

Drug Cartels make traveling to Mexico dangerous

It is not just the Americans who are at risk. Many Mexicans, including journalists, politicians, and ordinary citizens, have also fallen victims to the escalating violence.

 According to Forbes, Mexico is the second-most dangerous country in the world, with 35,558 homicides recorded in 2020, an increase of 1.6% from the previous year.

According to data researcher Statista, nearly 29 million traveled to Mexico in 2021. And at least 75 U.S. citizens died in Mexico by homicide that year, U.S. State Department statistics show.

The violence is primarily due to the illegal drug trade. The Coast drug cartel is very active. And drugs generate billions of dollars for the criminal gangs.

The cartels have become powerful, with sophisticated networks of arms, drugs, and money laundering. They control many parts of the country, including the border towns, where they monitor the area with drones and carry out violent attacks.

 The Mexican government has been fighting the cartels for years, but the violence in Matamoros seems to be getting worse. The government and local police are often accused of being corrupt and ineffective, with some officials alleged to have links to the cartels.

The U.S. State Department has issued a Level 4: Do Not Travel Advisory for U.S. citizens in Tamaulipas.  The alert level is the same as Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.

Any U.S. citizen that travels to this part of Mexico should register their travel plans and contact details with the US Department of State so that they can be reached in the event of an emergency.