Mexican drug cartel apologizes for murder, kidnapping of Americans: media

Matamoros: A Mexican drug cartel accused of kidnapping four Americans and murdering two of them has said the killers acted alone and are being handed over to authorities, local media reported on Thursday.

Several Mexican news outlets published a letter allegedly issued by the Gulf Cartel, in which the organization said it “condemns” and “excuses” the kidnappings and killings carried out without the authorization of the group’s leaders.

The four Americans drove to northern Mexico in a white minivan last week before they were shot at by gunmen and kidnapped in the border town of Matamoros.

Two were found dead Tuesday, a third with gunshot wounds and another unharmed. A Mexican bystander was also killed in the gunfire.

Mexican authorities had suspected the kidnapping was the result of “mix-up” rather than a targeted attack.

The victims were visiting Mexico because one of them was planning cosmetic surgery, a Mexican official said.

Alongside Thursday’s letter, local media also published a photo showing the handwritten note next to five men lying face down with their hands tied.

Mexican authorities have not confirmed whether these men were the ones suspected of the murders and kidnappings or whether they were turned over to the authorities.

Prosecutors reported the arrest of a suspect who allegedly guarded the kidnapped Americans.

The two survivors were returned to the United States through a land border crossing between Matamoros and Brownsville, Texas.

The bodies of the two dead Americans were repatriated Thursday, authorities said. -AFP