Alleged Apology Letter From Mexican Cartel Surfaces Following Kidnapping and Killing of Americans

A letter claiming to be from the Mexican cartel responsible for the kidnapping of four Americans and the murder of two has condemned the violence and said they turned over the men responsible to authorities.

In the letter obtained by the Associated Press through a Tamaulipas state law enforcement source, the Scorpions group, an armed branch of the Gulf Cartel, apologized to the residents of Matamoros where the Americans were kidnapped, the families of the Americans and the Mexican woman who died in the shootout.

“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 reads. It adds that the individuals went against the cartel’s rules, which include “respecting the life and well-being of the innocent.”

The letter also accompanied a photo of the five men face down on the ground.

Last week, four Americans were attacked and kidnapped shortly after crossing the Texas border into Matamoros, Mexico. A surfaced video showed a group of armed men forcing an American woman into the back of a white pickup truck. The bodies of three American men were then seen being dragged and loaded into the back of the same pickup.

On Tuesday, two of the victims were found alive and the other two were killed.

The surviving Americans and remains of the deceased have since returned to the U.S.

State officials have not publicly confirmed having new suspects in custody.