Thu Mar 9, 2023, 08:40 PM

Mosby (14,369 posts)

Mexican cartel delivers 'kidnappers' -- five bound men -- and an apology

Source: Washington Post

MEXICO CITY — Police in the Mexican border city of Matamoros early Thursday discovered five men, bound with zip ties, in a truck near the intersection where four Americans were kidnapped last week, with a note claiming to be from a Gulf Cartel faction saying it wanted to “hand over” those behind the abductions, authorities reported.

There was no official confirmation that the five men, who were found alive, were indeed behind Friday’s brazen attack, which left two of the Americans dead. But Mexican crime groups often leave notes or banners describing their actions or blaming their rivals, in a macabre form of public relations. And cartels have, in the past, turned over gunmen whose actions brought on the wrath of Mexican or U.S. officials.

The attack has become a flash point in U.S.-Mexico relations. Republican lawmakers have demanded the Biden administration declare Mexican cartels to be terrorist groups; some have called for U.S. military intervention.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/03/09/matamoros-kidnap-americans-mexico-border/

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7 replies	Author	Time	Post
Mexican cartel delivers 'kidnappers' -- five bound men -- and an apology (Original post)	Mosby	Mar 9	OP
I had a feeling this would happen	Warpy	Mar 9	#1
The Gulf Cartel competes with the Mexican government in that area.	mn9driver	Mar 9	#2
The last thing in the world Mexican cartels want to do is piss off the US government.	Martin68	Mar 9	#3
The state dept had warned travelers not to go to that area because of crime and kidnapping	MichMan	Mar 11	#6
Not a good idea to go to anyplace the State Department posts an advisory about. They only do so	Martin68	Mar 11	#7
Not entirely surprising.	róisín_dubh	Mar 10	#4
If they were actually the ones that did it.	MichMan	Mar 11	#5

Response to Mosby (Original post)

Thu Mar 9, 2023, 09:21 PM

Warpy (106,467 posts)

1. I had a feeling this would happen

The only problem will be proving that these are the men who botched the hit on whoever they were looking for in the same type of van.

They could easily be 5 random guys they picked up off the street, although this was a big enough screw up that it could just as easily be the screwups who did it. They also won't rat out the cartel because that cartel is likely in prisons on both sides of the border and the outcome would be worse than whatever the law could do to them.

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Response to Mosby (Original post)

Thu Mar 9, 2023, 09:52 PM

mn9driver (3,901 posts)

2. The Gulf Cartel competes with the Mexican government in that area.

The shooting/kidnapping of the "wrong" people isn't a good look for them. This is their way of assuring the (Matamoros) public that they take responsibility and won't randomly shoot up medical tourists again.

It's as if there are actually two governments; one in the open and one in the shadows. They coexist and try to avoid trouble with one another. From the Mexican point of view, pressure from the US to "do something" about the cartel will result in a lot of bloodshed and not solve the problem, so the cartel's gesture is a good thing and shows that they are taking it seriously. I suspect the US will not see it the same way.

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Response to Mosby (Original post)

Thu Mar 9, 2023, 11:11 PM

Martin68 (20,335 posts)

3. The last thing in the world Mexican cartels want to do is piss off the US government.

Some young mavericks made a big mistake, and the cartel handed them over. Whoever did kit didn't know they were Americans, and was trying to make a name for themselves. They succeeded in the latter, but it wan't the name their were looking for. American tourists are sacrosanct all over the world for two reasons: they bring money into the country for the people, and the US government has a very long reach. The exceptions are North Korea, Iran, Russia, China, and a few others. I recommend checking on the State Department's advice on where not to go. That's what I did when travailing near hot spots, and it served me well.

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Response to Martin68 (Reply #3)

Sat Mar 11, 2023, 10:55 AM

MichMan (9,005 posts)

6. The state dept had warned travelers not to go to that area because of crime and kidnapping

They went anyway

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Response to MichMan (Reply #6)

Sat Mar 11, 2023, 11:57 AM

Martin68 (20,335 posts)

7. Not a good idea to go to anyplace the State Department posts an advisory about. They only do so

when there is a real problem in the area, making it potentially very dangerous. When I travelled through risky areas in Africa or South America, I always consulted the local embassy for advice. They are very realistic and pragmatic - they don't issue warnings unless there is a clear and present danger.

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Response to Mosby (Original post)

Fri Mar 10, 2023, 06:54 AM

róisín_dubh (11,672 posts)

4. Not entirely surprising.

In 1998, there was a fatal shooting during a robbery on the train that takes tourists to visit Copper Canyon. From what I remember reading, the cartels active in the area at the time were not pleased and I think took their own form of justice on the perpetrators (must've been Sinaloa cartel I guess, but I can't remember now that they've all splintered into smaller groups).
I remember reading about this when I started studying Mexico in grad school.

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Response to Mosby (Original post)

Sat Mar 11, 2023, 10:54 AM

MichMan (9,005 posts)

5. If they were actually the ones that did it.

There was no official confirmation that the five men, who were found alive, were indeed behind Friday’s brazen attack

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