Four Black American’s were kidnapped in Mexico last week. A video of their abduction showed gunmen dragged and loaded them into the back of a truck while terrified drivers sat silently in their cars.
Investigators believe the Americans were mistakenly targeted by a Mexican cartel that likely mistook them for Haitian drug smugglers. They have no concerning criminal history that investigators have identified, according to a US official familiar with the investigation.
The drug cartel responsible for the murders have since apologized for their actions. Seems as though not even lawless gang members want smoke with the United States.
Shaeed Woodard
Shaeed Woodard, a 33-year-old Lake City man, would have celebrated his 34th birthday Thursday if he had not been kidnapped and killed in Mexico. His family is now trying to navigate their grief following this horrendous tragedy.
He was one of four people who drove to Matamoros, a border town in the northern Mexican state of Tamaulipas, with his cousin Latavia Washington McGee for a cosmetic procedure. The group was ambushed and taken by gunmen.
Williams and McGee survived the attack, but two of the four were killed, according to Tamaulipas Governor Americo Villarreal. They were found in a stash house, authorities said.
An ongoing inquiry is exploring the potential scenario where individuals from a drug cartel abducted them under the suspicion of territorial infringement, as outlined in an internal government report reviewed by Reuters. The Gulf cartel, a formidable narcotics syndicate, has a historical link to acts of violence and abductions within the city of Matamoros.
Zindell Brown
Brown, 28, had been planning to go to Mexico with his three friends for a tummy tuck surgery. They drove the nearly 22-hour journey together from Lake City, South Carolina.
But while Zindell’s group grew close over the years, they all knew there was risk involved in traveling to Mexico for the surgery. Zindell was aware of the dangers in Mexico and expressed misgivings, but his sister Zalandria Brown said he ultimately decided to go.
Their minivan was targeted on Friday when it entered the Mexican city of Matamoros, where they planned to get the surgery. Several men with tactical vests and assault rifles arrived in another vehicle and surrounded them, according to reports from Mexican police.
Latavia McGee
Latavia Washington McGee was on her way to Mexico for a ‘tummy tuck’ surgery when she was kidnapped. She was travelling with her cousin Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown and friend Eric Williams.
In a video making its rounds on social media, the distressing scene depicts the abduction of the four companions, coerced into a pickup truck within the Mexican city of Matamoros, positioned roughly 50 miles to the south of the Texas border. Two were killed and the other two survived, and are recovering in a Texas hospital.
The victims, who have been identified as Latavia McGee, Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown, and Eric Williams were mistaken for Haitian drug smugglers by the gunmen who abducted them, investigators said.
The victims were believed to be traveling for a ‘tummy tuck’ procedure, and they got lost as they crossed the border into Matamoros, where they were intercepted by gunmen in broad daylight, according to Reuters. They were later found in a ‘wooden house’ six miles from where they had been abducted, Reuters reported Tuesday.
Eric Williams
When FBI agents knocked on Michelle Williams’ door this past Sunday to tell her that her husband Eric was kidnapped and killed in Mexico, she thought it was a scam. But then she learned the truth: Mr Williams and three others – Latavia McGee, Shaeed Woodard and Zindell Brown – had been ambushed as they crossed into Matamoros on Friday for a medical procedure.
The four were traveling in a minivan with North Carolina license plates when they were fired upon, according to the FBI. They were then loaded into a pickup truck by men who appeared to be armed.
They were later found dead at a house outside of Matamoros, Tamaulipas state Attorney General Irving Barrios Mojica said.
The incident has added to a heated debate over US-Mexico drug trade, and how best to address it. This week, a delegation from the United States is slated to journey to Mexico, engaging in discussions centered around the persistent collaboration between our governments in tackling the issue of illicit fentanyl. This update was shared by a spokesperson from the national security council in conversation with CNN.
