A close-knit group of friends from South Carolina — who traveled to Mexico so that one could undergo a medical procedure — have been found after days of no contact with loved ones back home.
Latavia Washington McGee, Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown, and Eric Williams all traveled to Mexico for Washington McGee’s medical procedure scheduled to take place on Friday, March 3. With U.S. and Mexican officials working together to locate the group of friends, it was discovered early this morning that two of the travelers were killed, and two were found alive but not unscathed.
CNN reports that Américo Villarreal, Tamaulipas governor, revealed that the two survivors have been returned to the United States. Washington McGee and Williams were taken in by the FBI and safely transported to Texas, where they will receive medical care and observation after the ordeal. Williams was found with a wound to the leg, and McGee had no signs of physical injuries.
It has also been reported that one individual has been taken into custody following the kidnapping and murder. The group of friends was located in a “wooden house” in Matamoros, but it wasn’t the only place they’d been since their kidnapping. It’s being shared that they were taken to “various places” over a few days “to create confusion and avoid rescue efforts.”
A Mexican citizen was also killed during the kidnapping, which officials have reported appears to be a mistaken identity situation, with the drug cartel believing the friends to be Haitian drug smugglers. Friends and loved ones first noticed something was wrong when phone calls went unanswered and texts were unreturned. A friend of Washington McGee spoke with CNN about the moment they realized something sinister was happening.
“We’ve been calling all of their phones and it’s just going to voicemail. I called her mom too and she told me she hasn’t been able to contact them either. That’s when I knew something was wrong.”
Attorney General Irving Barrios shared the following statement early on March 7 about the U.S. Citizens who were robbed of their “liberty” and how, in finding the group of friends, he mourned the untimely deaths of two of them.
The follow-up Tweet says more details will be given later. U.S. officials have spoken out about the unforgivable act, including John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications.
“Attacks on US citizens are unacceptable, no matter where or under what circumstances they occur. And we’re going to work closely with the Mexican government to ensure that justice is done in this case.”
The bodies of the two victims who were killed, Mr. Woodard and Mr. Brown, will be examined by Mexican officials before being sent back to the U.S. for a proper burial by friends and loved ones. We’re sending our thoughts to those who knew and loved them and the families and survivors of the kidnapping.
