When the repatriation of the two Americans killed last week in Mexico, the United States government asked on Wednesday that “justice be done” in the case.
“In this case, it is important for us that justice be done,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said at a press conference, referring to the event, in which two other Americans were also kidnapped and later released. “We don’t want to do or say anything that could get in the way of that responsibility.”
While the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, celebrated the actions of the authorities of his country to rescue two survivors “who have already been taken to the United States.”
“They acted well because they soon found the people, two dead, one injured, another well, and this emergency situation was addressed, very unfortunate for the relatives of the victims,” López Obrador said this Wednesday in exchange with reporters.
The four Americans, including a woman, crossed into the border city of Matamoros to receive cosmetic treatment, when they were intercepted by the kidnappers, who reportedly had been fighting a rival gang and a shootout began there.
The Tamaulipas State Attorney General’s Office and the Forensic Medical Service in Matamoros continue to be guarded by the military. José N., 24, remains in custody at the latter site, accused of allegedly monitoring the four travelers for the kidnapping last Friday.
“I have just spoken with prosecutor Jorge Macías from the State Commission for the Search for Persons, and he confirms that the bodies are here, that they are expected to be handed over to the US authorities today,” he assured the police. voice of america Juan Cedilla, security expert journalist.
Travel alert for Tamaulipas
Price reaffirmed that the US maintains Tamaulipas “as a level four, which means that Americans should not travel to this particular Mexican state because it is dangerous. We have seen incidents of violent crime, and we certainly don’t want to see Americans needlessly put in harm’s way.”
The survivors were treated Tuesday at Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville, Texas. A Matamoros resident who asked not to be identified to protect her safety shared her views with the VOA.
“I think it is an isolated case, as can happen in any part of the Republic, but they have exaggerated a lot,” said the woman.
The US has reported both from the White House and from the Foreign Ministry that it is in contact with the Mexican authorities at various levels to clarify the facts.
“Our embassy in Mexico City and our consulate in Matamoros have been working to support families in fulfilling their wishes and working hand in hand with the Mexican authorities and also with our US government counterparts,” Price concluded.
The family of one of the deceased, Zindell Brown in Lake City, South Carolina, launched an online GoFundMe campaign for funeral arrangements. There his relatives hope that the “loving son, brother, uncle and friend” receives the “goodbye he deserves”, reported Associated Press.
Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channel Youtube and activate notifications, or follow us on social networks: Facebook, Twitter and instagram.
