March 7, 2023 - 2 Americans dead, 2 found alive in Mexico kidnapping

Latavia “Tay” Washington McGee, 33, drove to Mexico with Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown and their friend Eric Williams for the procedure, but she never made it to her doctor’s appointment on Friday, her mother Barbara Burgess told CNN.

On Sunday, Burgess said she was informed by the FBI that her daughter had been kidnapped and was in danger. “They said, if she calls me, to call them,” she said.

The group was fired upon by unidentified gunman and “placed in a vehicle and taken from the scene by armed men,” according to the FBI.

An innocent Mexican bystander was also killed in the encounter, US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar said.

Investigators believe the Americans were targeted by a Mexican cartel that likely mistook them for Haitian drug smugglers, a US official familiar with the ongoing investigation tells CNN.

This trip was the second time Latavia "Tay" Washington McGee, a mother of six children, had gone to Mexico for a medical procedure, her mother Barbara Burgess said. About two to three years ago, Burgess said her daughter traveled to the country for a surgery.

Receipts found in the group’s vehicle indicated the Americans were in Mexico for medical procedures, a US official with knowledge of the investigation tells CNN.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Monday that the group had crossed the border to “buy medicines” and assured the “whole government” was working to resolve the case.

Mexico has become a particularly popular destination for “medical tourism,” attracting travelers who may be seeking cheaper alternatives or medical treatments that are unapproved or unavailable in the US. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  warns the growing trend can carry dangerous risks depending on the destination and facility, including infection and possible post-procedure complications.

Washington McGee drove to Mexico with Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown and their friend Eric Williams for the procedure, but she never made it to her doctor’s appointment on Friday, Burgess told CNN.

The group of missing Americans grew up together in South Carolina and were bonded “like glue,” Brown’s sister Zalandria Brown told CNN. She added that she and her brother are also close.

Two of the four Americans who authorities say were kidnapped in Mexico have been found dead, according to Tamaulipas Gov. Américo Villarreal Anaya. One of the two survivors has injuries, he said.

Tamaulipas Attorney General Irving Barrios also confirmed the deaths on Twitter.

Ambulances and security personnel are giving medical support to the survivors, the Tamaulipas governor said.