Mistaken Identity: US Citizens Kidnapped in Mexico

By Tara

Last week, four Americans were kidnapped by a Mexican cartel gang after crossing into the border city of Matamoros. Matamoros is currently caught between warring factions of the ‘Gulf’ cartel as they battle for control over the ‘Plazas’: the drug smuggling routes that lead north into the USA.

The unfortunate group of friends drove their minivan straight into this area and were held for four days; two of the men were killed and two survived. They were moved between the gang’s safe houses to avoid American detection. The US embassy issued a statement ordering their immediate release, hoping to cause instant alarm for any Mexican cartel or local gang operating along the border, which proved effective, as the captors seemed to realise that it was much more advantageous to hand over the Americans to deflect the danger and tension their gang was facing.

The Mexican government has provided little information about motive in this recent event, but the attorney general’s office of Tamaulipas said that their strongest theory was that this was a case of mistaken identity. These officials stated that no leads were being ruled out; however, they would not comment on any suggestions that a drug gang had confused the Americans for either US-based rivals, Haitian gang members, or human traffickers.

Kidnapping in Mexico is incredibly common with last year’s figure amassing to over 100,000 people disappearing, presumably as victim to such a crime. Most kidnappings are resolved with complete amnesty, particularly in cases of undocumented immigrants travelling north to the US. This case was concluded within 24 hours after the authorities were alerted to the situation, very quickly in comparison to many kidnappings. However, this sparked controversy as some Mexicans voiced their frustration on social media that such cases involving foreigners are resolved at exceptional speed but are often disregarded when involving natives.