The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for the return of four Americans believed to have been kidnapped at gunpoint during an attack in Mexico on Friday that also led to the death of a Mexican citizen, authorities said.
The four Americans crossed into Matamoros, Tamaulipas, in a white minivan with North Carolina plates Friday, the FBI said in a statement. Matamoros is just south of Brownsville, Texas.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said the Americans were in the country to buy medicine.
“They are people from the United States who crossed the border to buy medicines and there was a confrontation between groups. The matter is looked into. I think it will be resolved,” López Obrador said Monday during a daily press conference.
It is not uncommon for Americans to cross the Southern Border for cheaper medication in Mexico.
The FBI is asking the public for information leading to arrests.
Shortly after crossing into Mexico they were met with gunfire by unidentified shooters, the release said.
The gunmen “herded the four U.S. citizens into another vehicle and fled the scene with them,” the FBI said.
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar said in a Monday statement an “innocent Mexican citizen was tragically killed” during the kidnapping.
“We have no greater priority than the safety of our citizens — this is the U.S. government’s most fundamental role. U.S. law enforcement officials from numerous agencies are working with Mexican authorities at all levels of government to secure the safe return of our compatriots,” he said.
The case is under investigation by the FBI and Mexican law enforcement.
Officials did not provide any further details on the abduction and did not identify the victims.
The reward money is for the safe return of the kidnapped victims as well as the arrest of those involved in the assault and kidnapping attack.
Anyone with information is urged to call the FBI’s San Antonio division at (210) 225-6741.
The U.S. State Department has a “Do Not Travel” warning for Tamaulipas state due to “crime and kidnapping.”
The department said organized crime activity including gun battles, armed robbery and kidnappings are common along the northern border and in Ciudad Victoria.
“Criminal groups target public and private passenger buses, as well as private automobiles traveling through Tamaulipas, often taking passengers and demanding ransom payments,” the warning said.
Alec Hernandez and Antonio Planas contributed.