50k reward.
Mistaken identity?
The Americans are believed to have been targeted by mistake and were not the intended victims, the official said. Investigators believe a Mexican cartel likely mistook them for Haitian drug smugglers, the official said, adding investigators have not identified any concerning criminal history on the part of the Americans.
The Americans had traveled to the border city of Matamoros for medical procedures, the official said, citing receipts found in the vehicle.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador offered a similar explanation.
“The information we have is that they crossed the border to buy medicines in Mexico, there was a confrontation between groups and they were detained,” the president said. “The whole government is working on it.”
The incident highlights the ongoing violence in some Mexican cities, which have been wracked by organized crime at least since the
Mexican Drug War began in 2006, as well as the growing business of what’s known as “medical tourism.”
The missing Americans, who were not identified, drove into Matamoros on Friday in a white minivan with North Carolina plates, the FBI in San Antonio said. There, they were fired upon by unidentified gunmen and were “placed in a vehicle and taken from the scene by armed men,” the FBI said.
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