The daylight abduction of a group of U.S. citizens in Mexico would have been nearly impossible to prevent, and it highlights the perils of crossing the southern border into territories run by drug cartels, retired FBI agents said Tuesday.
Two of the U.S. citizens were killed, and the two others have returned to the U.S.
“The big takeout is the border is wide open, and drug cartels are operating and controlling the border,” said former FBI special agent Peter Yachmetz, who was a certified hostage negotiator. “Do not go through any of these border crossings. It is a known ‘Do Not Travel zone.’”
The U.S. group was likely attacked and abducted by cartel gunmen in a case of mistaken identity, a law enforcement official has said, and the Mexican authorities’ hypothesis is “that it was confusion, not a direct attack,” the state prosecutor said.
The four U.S. citizens drove a minivan with North Carolina plates into Matamoros, Tamaulipas, on Friday. The group was said to be in the country for a cosmetic procedure.
The city is just south of Brownsville, Texas.
The group was caught in gunfire after crossing the border, and video showed a gunman walking one of the Americans into the bed of a white pickup, then dragging and loading up the three others. Terrified civilian motorists sat silently in their cars, hoping not to draw attention.
Shaeed Woodard, 33, and Zindell Brown, in his mid-20s, were killed, while Latavia Burgess, and Robert Williams, who was shot in the leg, survived the attack.
U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, said Monday in a statement that an “innocent Mexican citizen was tragically killed.”
‘Do Not Travel’ warning
Violence is not rare in Tamaulipas state, where the U.S. State Department has issued a “Do Not Travel” warning, citing, organized crime activity, gunbattles, armed robbery and kidnappings.
And while kidnappings are a threat in the area, this one unfolded in a far different manner, experts say.
“It looks like it was…
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