TERROR ERROR

Americans Kidnapped in Matamoros Were Wrong Targets: Report

The group had traveled over the border to buy medicine when their minivan collided with another vehicle and they were snatched at gunpoint, officials said.

Was the nightmare four Americans are facing in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas a case of mistaken identity? An unidentified U.S. official told CNN on Monday that authorities now believe the Americans were targeted in error after crossing over into Mexico to buy medicine. According to photos obtained by CNN, the group’s white minivan collided with another vehicle, before the four travelers were spirited away from the scene at gunpoint. The photos show a woman seated next to three bodies outside the van. The FBI has asked the public to assist in their search for the victims, offering a $50,000 reward for their return and the arrest of those responsible. Tamaulipas is currently under a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” advisory from the U.S. State Department, which cites the uptick in crime that has occurred since the Mexican government began its war on the country’s powerful drug cartels in 2006.