
Of the four Americans kidnapped after crossing the Mexican border last week, only two survived, LaTavia McGee and Eric Williams. According to her family, LaTavia drove from South Carolina to Mexico with a group of friends, Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown, and Eric Williams, to get cosmetic surgery. However, the group was reportedly captured by a Mexican drug cartel shortly after entering Matamoros, a city well known for crime and cartels. Despite the dangers in the town, Montomoros is becoming more popular for offering discounted cosmetic surgeries and performing procedures not provided in the United States. The town is about a 30-minute drive from Brownsville, Texas. According to CNN, the U.S. travelers were targeted because they were mistaken as Haitian drug smugglers.

A video of the South Carolina friends being ambushed and forced out of their rental van into a white pickup truck at gunpoint has surfaced. The survivors, LaTavia and Eric, are reportedly injured; Eric was shot in his legs. Shaeed and Zindell were gunned down. A Mexican woman, who was an innocent bystander, was also killed during the ambush. Mexican authorities reportedly arrested a 24-year-old man named José Guadalupe, who was guarding the house where Americans were found.

Due to the severity of crimes committed against tourists at the Mexican border, especially kidnappings, the U.S. Department of State implemented a travel advisory for Americans who wish to cross the border in vehicles and strongly discourages traveling to dangerous areas. Border patrol can provide very limited protection at this time. Stay tuned for more information on this story.
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