When four Americans were kidnapped in the border city of Matamoros, authorities rescued the survivors after three days, but thousands of Mexicans remain missing in the state long associated with cartel violence — some in cases dating back more than a decade.
Mexican authorities quickly blamed the local Gulf cartel for shooting up the Americans’ minivan after they crossed the border for cosmetic surgery Friday. Authorities found the Americans — two dead, one injured and one apparently unharmed — early Tuesday after a massive search involving squads of Mexican soldiers and National Guard troops.
