HOUSTON — The U.S. State Department is vowing to track down the drug cartel that kidnapped four Americans in Mexico on Friday. Two of the victims were killed and two others are now back in the U.S. in a Texas hospital.
Authorities said Latavia McGee and Eric Williams were rescued from a stash house roughly 30 minutes from where they were originally abducted in Matamoros, Mexico last Friday. Matamoros is located across the border from Brownsville, Texas.
The other two Americans who traveled with them, Woodard and Zindell Brown, were killed.
Federal officials said the group traveled to Matamoros so McGee could have cosmetic surgery, but shortly after crossing into Mexico, they got caught in a shootout between two rival cartels.
A retired Homeland Security agent said this incident underlines just how dangerous traveling to Mexico can be and there are very few areas that are still safe.
"Anyone with and out-of-state license plate or a U.S. license plate are automatically targeted," Harry Jimenez, a retired Homeland Security agent, said. "If you are going to go on vacation, stay in the compound that you are going to be visiting and do not venture outside into the community."
Matamoros is currently under a level four "do not travel" designation from the state department, its highest travel warning.
This also comes as many will be on vacation for spring break soon, including trips planned to Mexico.
Jimenez said travelers shouldn't be in a state of fear, but they do need to be extra vigilant even if they are going somewhere like Cancun. He added that criminals used to leave the big resorts alone, but even that's starting to change.
U.S. and Mexican authorities are vowing to track down the people responsible. One man is already in custody.