Mexican authorities arrest 5 suspects turned over by cartel in deadly kidnapping of Americans last week

A Mexican official confirmed Friday that five suspects have been arrested in connection with the fatal kidnapping of four Americans who crossed the border from Texas last week.

The suspects were the same five people handed over on Thursday by the Gulf Cartel, which it said were “responsible” for the killings, according to France’s AFP news agency.

“The [Fiscalía General de Justicia del Estado de Tamaulipas] Tamaulipas Attorney General Irving Barrios Mojica wrote in a translated tweet on Friday, “Executed arrest warrants against 5 people connected to the March 3 events in Matamoros for the offenses of kidnapping and willful simple homicide.”

He said a sixth suspect “arrested in recent days” has been linked to the kidnapping.

Mexican cartel ‘apologises’ in letter for kidnapping, murder of Americans, members held ‘responsible’

The Gulf Cartel said Thursday it has turned over five members that the group says were responsible for kidnapping and killing Americans south of the border last week. (Twitter)

On Thursday, the Gulf Cartel apologized for the kidnapping and murder of four Americans, two of them and a Mexican woman, saying they held the authorities “responsible” for the crimes.

“We have decided to extradite those who were directly involved in and responsible for the incidents, who at all times acted under the influence of their own decision-making and lack of discipline,” the cartel wrote in an apology letter obtained by The Associated Press. Picture of five possible suspects lying face down on the ground.

An unnamed state security official told The Associated Press that five people with the letter were found bundled up inside a vehicle that authorities were searching for.

US issues ‘do not travel’ warning for parts of Mexico as spring break approaches

Mexican Army soldiers prepare a search mission for four US citizens kidnapped by gunmen in Matamoros, Mexico, Monday, March 6, 2023. (AP Photo)

A note allegedly left by the Gulf Cartel for Mexican authorities apologized for the actions of some members, claiming they were responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Americans last week. (Twitter)

Members of a Mexican cartel kidnapped four Americans who crossed the border from Brownsville, Texas, to Matamoros, Tamaulipas, last week. According to Ken Salazar, the US ambassador to Mexico, two Americans and an innocent Mexican bystander died during the incident.

An internal government document reviewed by Reuters indicated that Mexican law enforcement was investigating the possibility of the kidnapping because cartel members believed the Americans had encroached on their territory.

The four Americans have been identified as LaTavia McGee, Shaid Woodard, Eric Williams and Zindel Brown, all of South Carolina. The FBI has said it cannot identify the survivors, but McGee and Williams have been identified by their families as survivors, and Mexican officials have confirmed Woodard and Brown as deceased. .

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US Attorney General Merrick Garland on Tuesday blamed drug cartels for the incident, and he promised that the DEA and FBI “are doing everything possible to prosecute and ultimately prosecute the leaders of the cartel and the entire network”. ”

The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News’ Peter Aitken contributed to this report.