4 Americans kidnapped in northern Mexico, officials say

Four US citizens have been kidnapped after gunmen opened fire on their vehicle in the northern Mexico border city of Matamoros, the FBI said.The four had entered Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas, on Friday.

Four US citizens have been kidnapped after gunmen opened fire on their vehicle in the northern Mexico border city of Matamoros, the FBI said.

The four had entered Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas, on Friday. They were travelling in a white minivan with North Carolina license plates.

The FBI San Antonio Division office said in a statement on Sunday that the vehicle came under fire shortly after it entered Mexico.

“All four Americans were placed in a vehicle and taken from the scene by armed men,” the office said. The FBI is offering a USD 50,000 reward for the return of the victims and the arrest of the culprits.

Matamoros is home to warring factions of the Gulf drug cartel.

Shootouts in Matamoros were so bad that the US Consulate issued an alert about the danger on Friday.

Tamaulipas state police said people had been killed and injured on Friday, but did not say how many or give details of the violence.