Last week, four Americans were kidnapped by gunmen after crossing from Texas into the Mexican city of Matamoros. The group entered the country to receive elective cosmetic surgery procedures. Shortly after driving their white minivan into Mexico, the vehicle came under fire, according to a statement from the U.S. Embassy. All four Americans, two of whom died, were captured and taken from the scene by armed men. A letter obtained by the Associated Press (AP) through a Tamaulipas state law enforcement source says that the assault was carried out by rogue members of a Mexican drug cartel who were improperly acting on their own. “We have decided to turn over those who were directly involved and responsible in the events, who at all times acted under their own decision-making and lack of discipline,” the letter attributed to the Scorpions faction of the Gulf cartel says. The letter added that those members had violated the cartel’s rules, which include, “respecting the life and well-being of the innocent.” According to the AP, federal officials did not immediately confirm that new suspects connected to the incident are in custody. Discovery of the letter comes just days after Republicans stepped up calls to use the U.S. military to engage in direct action against Mexican drug cartels, including formally designating them as terrorist organizations. "I'm going to introduce legislation to make certain Mexican drug cartels foreign terrorist organizations under U.S. law and set the stage to use military force if necessary to protect America from being poisoned by things coming out of Mexico," South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said. "I would tell the Mexican government, 'If you don't clean up your act, we're gonna clean it up for you.'" Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs said during a recent interview that the U.S. should use the military to “wipe out” Mexican drug cartels. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador rebuffed calls for military action, calling the idea a threat to his nation’s sovereignty. "We are not going to permit any foreign government to intervene in our territory, much less that a government's armed forces intervene," Obrador said, according to Reuters.A letter purported to be from a Mexican drug cartel allegedly responsible for the recent kidnapping of four U.S. citizens, two of whom were killed, included an apology, citing undisciplined members who went against the cartel’s rules for respecting life.
