Mexico kidnapping latest: Two Americans rescued from drug cartel stash house are named after Matamoros attack

photos from the Associated Press showed the moment the two surviving American citizens were rescued by Mexican authorities.

They were found in a hideout called Ejido Longoreño in a rural area east of Matamoros on the way to the local beach called Playa Baghdad, a source close to the investigation said AP.

Zindell Brown, one of the two Americans killed in the kidnapping, was concerned about the risks involved in traveling to Mexico, his sister told the Associated Press.

“Zindell kept saying, ‘We shouldn’t go under,'” Zalandria Brown told the news outlet.

And she added: “It’s like a bad dream that you wish you could wake up from. To see a family member being thrown into the back of a truck and being dragged along is just amazing.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that attacks on American citizens are unacceptable under any circumstances.

Ms Jean-Pierre said more information will be released after family members of the two fatalities and two survivors of the kidnapping were briefed by US officials on all developments in the case. She also noted that the Biden administration remains committed to “disrupting transnational criminal organizations, including Mexican drug cartels and people smugglers.”

“We remain committed to using the full weight of our efforts and resources to counter them,” Ms Jean-Pierre said.

“Right now. Our immediate concerns are for the safe return of our citizens, the health and well-being of those who survived this attack, and the support that must be given to the families of those in need.”

A picture of Jose Guadalupe ‘N’, the person arrested in the rescue operation, is shown during a news conference to give details after two American citizens died on April 7 in Mexico City, Mexico.

The US consulate in Matamoros warned its staff on Friday in response to the recent outbreak of violence.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the San Antonio FBI Division at 210-225-6741 or to submit tips anonymously online here.

Images of the place where four American citizens were rescued are displayed on a screen during a news conference to provide details after two American citizens were killed at the auditorium of the Secretaria de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana in Matamoros, Tamaulipas on March 7, 2023 Mexico City, Mexico.

Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villarreal said during a press conference that the group was moved from various locations, including a clinic, during the three days their abduction lasted to deter investigators.

Mr Villareal said that the “Clan del Golfo” is the cartel known to operate and control the area. Tamaulipas Attorney General Irving Barrios Mojica also said Mexican officials believe members of the Gulf drug cartel were behind the attack.

The mother of surviving kidnapping victim LaTavia McGee, Barbara Burgess, said she was concerned her daughter might leave and warned her it might not be safe. But her daughter brushed aside her concerns and told her, “Mom, I’ll be fine.”

Ms Burgess last heard from Ms McGee on Friday when she called to say they were only 15 minutes from the cosmetic surgeon’s office where she was due to have surgery that day. She never heard from her daughter again.

Ms Burgess said she tried to call Ms McGee later that day but her phone went straight to voicemail.

Not long later, she said she received a visit from an FBI agent who revealed what had happened.

Mrs McGee and Erick James Williams survived the attack while Shaeed Woodard and Zindell Brown were killed

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby also condemned the attack on American citizens and vowed to seek justice for their families.

“We appreciate the hard work of the Justice Department, the FBI and DEA, and the Department of Homeland Security…we are grateful for their prompt response to this horrifying incident and for their continued cooperation with Mexican authorities,” Mr. Kirby told reporters.

“We will work closely with the Mexican government to ensure justice is done in this case.”

Asked if the White House was considering policy changes in response to the attack, Mr Kirby said there were no immediate remedies but insisted US authorities were working hard to recover the bodies of the fatal victim and survivors to bring American soil.