Tommy Tuberville says it is no longer safe for Americans to cross Mexican border
Four Americans were kidnapped while making a cross-border visit to Mexico. Authorities rescued two of those Americans, but the other two were found executed. On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville told the Alabama press corps, “You can’t go freely across the border.” “I hate this happened to four Americans,” Sen. Tuberville said in his weekly press call. “We lost two lives, and it is sad what happened. That you can’t go freely across the border, you can’t go at any stop across the border now. It is out of control.” “Well, it just goes to show you, not just on our side, but on their side – they’re losing control of their borders, Mexico is,” Tuberville continued. “Mexico actually is being held hostage by the cartels. The cartels are running the country of Mexico. Their government is under siege. You have got to be very careful. It is a different country than it has been in the past.” Tuberville urged President Joe Biden to talk to the President of Mexico and urge Mexico to send military to the border. “I would hope that President Biden would step up and have a meeting with the president over there,” said Tuberville. “I know President Trump did. He held them accountable and said we are going to stop trade if you don’t get your chips in a row. They straightened up. They gave us people at the border Military that would help out the border.” Tuberville said that President Biden is partly to blame for the border chaos. “President Biden is partly to blame for this for what he has done on our side of the border – opened up the border and let the cartel come through as they may,” Tuberville said. “So hopefully, this administration in the White House will wake up and smell the roses. It is wrong. It is wrong for the people of Mexico, and it is wrong for law-abiding citizens of Mexico, and something needs to be done, and there needs to be huge talks. We have got wars all over the world, but we have got a war right at our border, and we better wake up and see this and start getting some kind of answers to it at the border on both sides.” The four friends from South Carolina were traveling to Mexico for inexpensive cosmetic surgery. Eric James Williams, Zindell Brown, and cousins Latavia “Tay” McGee and Shaeed Woodard drove into Matamoros, Mexico, in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas just south of Brownsville, Texas. Their white minivan was fired on by heavily armed gunmen in body armor. The foursome was then taken hostage and forced at gunpoint to leave in another car. The hostages were moved frequently to avoid authorities who were frantically seeking to rescue the Americans. Williams and McGee were both rescued Tuesday morning. Brown and Woodard’s ordeal ended in tragedy. One of the victims’ bodies was found in the house with the survivors. The other body was found outside the home. All four are back in America now. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked on Wednesday if the President had spoken to the victims. Jean-Pierre told reporters, “I just don’t have anything more to share. Clearly, our hearts go out to the family members who lost — who lost a loved one. It is devastating, clearly, the news that we heard and the reports and what we know of the case thus far. And so, our hearts go out to them. I just don’t have anything to read — to read out.” A 24-year-old suspect, who allegedly was assigned to guard the hostages, is in custody, and authorities are seeking more suspects. Irving Barrios is the attorney general of Tamaulipas. Barrios said that the Americans were not directly targeted and that he believes it all “was a misunderstanding.” The FBI is urging anyone with information to call its San Antonio office at 210-225-6741 or submit information on its website. Tuberville was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2020. Since his election, he has visited the southern border multiple times and has urged Biden to address the growing border chaos. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
