Four U.S. citizens were assaulted and kidnapped in Mexico on Friday, the FBI said.
The four Americans drove across the U.S. border and entered the city of Matamoros, which borders the southernmost part of Texas. They were fired upon by unidentified gunmen and “placed in a vehicle and taken from the scene by armed men,&#8221; according to the FBI in San Antonio.
The group drove a white minivan with North Carolina license plates, according to the FBI. The names of the victims have not been released.
They are believed to have been targeted by mistake, a U.S. official <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/06/americas/fbi-mexico-kidnapping-us-citizens/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> CNN.
The FBI and Mexican law enforcement agencies are investigating. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for the return of the kidnapped Americans.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said the &#8220;whole government is working on&#8221; rectifying the situation.
“The information we have is that they crossed the border to buy medicines in Mexico, there was a confrontation between groups and they were detained,” Obrador said.
Receipts found in the Americans&#8217; vehicle support the theory that they were in the country to buy medicine.
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An innocent Mexican citizen also died as a result of the incident, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64842273" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to U.S. ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar.
Matamoros has been rife with gang violence for years, particularly warring sub-groups of the Gulf Cartel. On Friday, the city had several shootings, and the U.S. Consulate <a href="https://mx.usembassy.gov/alert-u-s-consulate-general-matamoros-mexico-march-3-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> government employees to avoid the area.
The State Department cautions U.S. citizens not to visit the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, where the city is located, due to &#8220;crime and kidnapping.&#8221;
&#8220;Organized crime activity – including gun battles, murder, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, forced disappearances, extortion, and sexual assault – is common along the northern border and in Ciudad Victoria,&#8221; <a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/mexico-travel-advisory.html#Tamaulipas%20state" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reads</a> the State Department&#8217;s &#8220;Do Not Travel&#8221; advisory. &#8220;Criminal groups target public and private passenger buses, as well as private automobiles traveling through Tamaulipas, often taking passengers and demanding ransom payments.&#8221;
CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/06/americas/fbi-mexico-kidnapping-us-citizens/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> it obtained photos that reportedly show the vehicle believed to be the Americans&#8217; minivan. The photos, which CNN said it confirmed with a U.S. official, reportedly show that the minivan crashed with another vehicle before the group was kidnapped at gunpoint.
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder" data-uri="archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_9E7D5D7E-B6D9-F0B0-DFA7-B7D3FD57ED96@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-analytics-observe="off">In the photos, a woman is reportedly seen looking at and then sitting next to three people lying on the ground outside a white minivan, which has all its doors open, CNN reported. Then, the woman appears to be loaded onto the bed of a white pickup truck, while three people are lying in the street next to the truck, the photos reportedly show. One photo also shows an ambulance, the outlet said.
<p data-uri="archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_9E7D5D7E-B6D9-F0B0-DFA7-B7D3FD57ED96@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-analytics-observe="off">A <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidWolf777/status/1631812544682917888" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> posted to Twitter on Friday appears to show the kidnapping, CBS reported.
<p data-uri="archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_9E7D5D7E-B6D9-F0B0-DFA7-B7D3FD57ED96@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-analytics-observe="off">In the video, a woman is seen being forced to walk to the back of a white pickup truck and then forced to get in the bed of the truck. One man is seen dragging a motionless person across the street to the pickup truck, leaving a dark trail. Three men put two motionless people in the bed of the pickup truck with the woman. The men were armed with long guns and wearing bulletproof vests.

US-Mexico Border Fence Impacts Borderlands Environment

4 U.S. Citizens Kidnapped By Gunmen In Mexico, FBI Offers Reward For Return

4 U.S. Citizens Kidnapped In Mexico, FBI Offers Reward For Return

Crime

Drug Cartels

Drugs

Gulf of Mexico

Mexico

World

A 28-year-old man has been rescued from the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gulf-of-mexico" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gulf of Mexico</a> after falling off of a cruise ship and spending hours in the water.
The man, who has not yet been identified, was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-gulf-of-mexico-us-coast-guard-566d829e820cca9c1405f3c39370c2a4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rescued</a> by the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/coast-guard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Coast Guard</a> on Thanksgiving, hours after being reported missing. The man had apparently fallen off the Carnival Valor, a ship from the Carnival Cruise Line that was en route to Mexico.
USCG Lt. Seth Gross <a href="https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/local/orleans/us-coast-guard-aiding-in-search-for-passenger-missing-from-carnival-valor-new-orleans/289-af499971-63e8-49d7-b492-6ea93492733c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">characterized</a> the rescue as “a miracle” in an interview with WWL-TV.
&#8220;I will say one of the highlights of my Coast Guard career was calling the family who was onboard the Carnival Valor to let them know their son was alive and en route to additional medical care,&#8221; Gross said. “Truly just a miracle especially on a holiday like Thanksgiving where it&#8217;s predominantly around family and spending time together.&#8221;
Gross said that the rescued man was stable, but appeared to have mild hypothermia, shock, and dehydration.
The ship was in the midst of a five day cruise beginning in New Orleans, and including stops in Cozumel and Progreso in Mexico. The man’s sister reported him missing after he had not returned to his room after leaving to go to the bathroom at around 11 p.m. Wednesday evening.
Rescue crews had to be on the lookout for a search area about the size of Massachusetts since the ship had gone 200 miles since the man had last been seen.
After being spotted in the water by a cargo ship, a Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/339cd16" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pulled</a> the man out of the water and brought him to an emergency medical care unit in New Orleans. He was lifted out of the water at about 8:25 p.m. Thursday, after spending hours in the water.
“We are beyond grateful that this case ended with a positive outcome,&#8221; Gross said. &#8220;It took a total team effort from Coast Guard watchstanders, response crews, and our professional maritime partners operating in the Gulf of Mexico to locate the missing individual and get him to safety. If not for the alert crew aboard the motor vessel Crinis, this case could have had a much more difficult ending.”
The Coast Guard Heartland shared footage on Twitter of the rescue.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Footage from the rescue of the cruise ship passenger last night. Can also be downloaded here: <a href="https://t.co/xk0pBnVr1E">https://t.co/xk0pBnVr1E</a> <a href="https://t.co/GK1IXCKlgx">pic.twitter.com/GK1IXCKlgx</a>
&mdash; USCG Heartland (@USCGHeartland) <a href="https://twitter.com/USCGHeartland/status/1596255272984453121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Rescue helicopter in action at sea

Thanksgiving ‘Miracle’: Man Rescued From Gulf Of Mexico Hours After Falling Off Cruise Ship

Man Rescued From Gulf Of Mexico Hours After Falling Off Cruise Ship

Coast Guard

General

U.S.

A female California veteran abortionist, who also serves as a professor at the University of California, San Francisco, is planning to offer abortions on a ship in federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico, so women can evade abortion bans in their home states.
Dr. Meg Autry, an obstetrician and gynecologist, pointed out that women in some southern states would have easier access to abortions because the ship would be closer to their coastal areas than taking a flight to another state. The plan, which is still in its fundraising stage, would see the ship operating nine nautical miles off the coast of Texas and three miles from Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi’s coasts — out of the reach of state waters.
Autry’s group, Protecting Reproductive Rights Of Women Endangered by State Statutes (<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.prrowess.org/home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PRROWESS</a>), stated that it is “a solution for individuals seeking reproductive health care and surgical abortion where it is illegal or impossible.”
“It is just phenomenally difficult to get to an access state, even if it’s paid for,” Autry told <a href="https://www.audacy.com/kcbsradio/news/local/ucsf-ob-gyn-to-launch-abortion-clinic-boat-in-federal-waters">KCBS</a>. “Not only is this an innovative, different idea for surgical terminations, but it’s also closer, and more accessible and quicker than other options.”
Autry and her colleagues will perform abortions on women up to 14 weeks of pregnancy.
“&#8217;There’s been an assault on reproductive rights in our country and I’m a lifelong advocate for reproductive health and choice,&#8217;” Autry told the <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-reproductive-rights-government-and-politics-bfab2bd6604229d7b2bcad630037c4e8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a>. “&#8217;We have to create options and be thoughtful and creative to help people in restrictive states get the health care they deserve.&#8217;”
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas have all banned abortion following last month’s Supreme Court decision which overturned Roe v. Wade.
“&#8217;It is my life’s work,&#8217;” Autry declared to <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/floating-abortion-clinic-meg-autry/2940013/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC Bay Area</a>, adding, “&#8217;Part of the reason we’re working on this project so hard is because wealthy people in our country are always going to have access [to abortions], so once again it’s a time now where poor, people of color, [and] marginalized individuals, are gonna suffer &#8212; and by suffering I mean like lives lost.&#8217;”
Stacy Cross, president of Planned Parenthood Mar Monte in California, admitted, “&#8217;Over the years we’ve talked about things like boats on federal waters out past the 5-mile line.&#8217;”
“PRROWESS is committed to providing a safe haven for individuals in states where their rights are severely impacted by legislation limiting their access to reproductive health care,” the PRROWESS website states. 
“PRROWESS believes that no matter how draconian measures targeting reproductive rights become, together we can and will re-assert control over our bodies and lives.”

Cruise Ship on the Open Sea – Horizontal

All Aboard: Doctor To Offer Abortions On Ship In Gulf Of Mexico So Women Can Evade State Bans

Abortion

Roe v. Wade's Long And Brutal Legacy

Seven men were found dead along a road in a popular Mexico tourist area, their bodies badly beaten and with warning messages written on their corpses.
The bodies were found in the township of Aquismon, located in the Huasteca region, but prosecutors in San Luis Potosi state said it didn’t appear as though the men were actually from the town and may have been killed somewhere else.
The Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-mexico-903c9ed78a75c6fc4da5927071f76443">reported</a> that “Photos of the bodies showed extensive bruising on the corpses, suggesting they had been beaten.” Messages were also written on the bodies, saying &#8220;this is what happened to me for working with the Gulf.&#8221;
“The Gulf” apparently refers to the Gulf Cartel, a gang that typically works along the U.S. border far to the north. The bodies were reportedly signed by “Valles Operation O.B.,” a reference to a rival gang, the AP reported.
CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/7-bodies-dumped-huasteca-mexico-warning-messages-corpses/">reported</a> that the U.S. Department of Justice extradited former Gulf Cartel leader Mario Cardenas-Guillen to Texas to face drug trafficking charges.
“For decades, the Gulf Cartel has used intimidation and extreme violence to maintain control of its territories in northeast Mexico and smuggle deadly drugs into communities across the United States,” Drug Enforcement Administration administrator Anne Milgram said in <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edtx/pr/former-gulf-cartel-leader-extradited-east-texas-drug-trafficking-violations">a statement</a> released by the DOJ. “The extradition of Mario Cardenas Guillen, the former leader of the Gulf Cartel, should send a clear message to the leaders of drug trafficking organizations around the world that no one is beyond the reach of the DEA and our law enforcement partners.”
Cardenas-Guillen has been charged with conspiracy with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. If convicted, he faces 10 years to life in federal prison.
CBS noted that the bodies found in Aquismon are the most recent deaths linked to gangs and cartels.
“On Tuesday, gunmen <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/5-high-school-students-woman-killed-gunmen-mexico/">killed five high school students and a woman</a> in a street shooting in Guanajuato state, an area where gangs fight for control of trafficking routes for drugs and stolen fuel,” the outlet reported. “Two weeks before that, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/11-killed-attack-hotel-bars-mexico-cartels/">eight women and three men were killed</a> in an apparent gangland revenge attack on two bars and a hotel in Celaya, another city in Guanajuato.”
There have been more than 340,000 murders in Mexico since December 2006, when the Mexican government started a controversial operation aimed at reducing drug crimes.

Panoramic view of Aquismón in San Luis Potosí. Mexico

7 Men Found Dead In Popular Mexico Tourist Area With Gang Warning Messages Written On Corpses

gangs

Despite the record high price of gas in the U.S., the Biden administration has announced it is canceling the sale of a massive oil and gas lease location in Alaska that was pending before the Department of the Interior (DOI).
Biden’s DOI also canceled two leases under consideration in the Gulf of Mexico area.
On Wednesday, <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">AAA</a> reported the national average price of regular gas had reached a record high of $4.40.
At the end of March, the White House, while blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin for the rise in gas prices, <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/03/31/fact-sheet-president-bidens-plan-to-respond-to-putins-price-hike-at-the-pump/">bragged</a> of Biden, “The first part of the President’s plan is to immediately increase supply by doing everything we can to encourage domestic production now.”
Yet on Wednesday, the DOI  killed the potential to drill for oil in over 1 million acres in the Cook Inlet in Alaska, informing <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alaska-oil-and-gas-lease-sale-canceled-biden-administration/">CBS News</a> that the cancellation stemmed from a &#8220;lack of industry interest in leasing in the area&#8221; for the decision to &#8220;not move forward.” The DOI killed the two leases under consideration in the Gulf of Mexico area because of &#8220;conflicting court rulings that impacted work on these proposed lease sales.&#8221;
“The Biden administration is poised to let the nationwide offshore drilling program expire next month without a new plan in place,” <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/05/11/gulf-of-mexico-leasing-canceled/">The Washington Post</a> noted, adding, “Barring unexpected action, the current five-year offshore drilling program will lapse at the end of June. Interior cannot hold any new oil and gas lease sales until it has completed a replacement plan.”
Because the federal government can take months to create a new offshore drilling plan, energy companies will likely have to wait until at least 2023 before they can gain access to new leases.
American Petroleum Institute senior vice president Frank Macchiarola called the Alaska cancellation &#8220;another example of the administration&#8217;s lack of commitment to oil and gas development in the U.S.,” adding, “The President has spoken about the need for additional supplies in the market, but his administration has failed to take action to match that rhetoric.”
&#8220;Unfortunately, this is becoming a pattern &#8211; the administration talks about the need for more supply and acts to restrict it.  As geopolitical volatility and global energy prices continue to rise, we again urge the administration to end the uncertainty and immediately act on a new five-year program for federal offshore leasing,” he concluded.
In mid-March, <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/watch-manchin-criticizes-biden-administration-say-you-will-support-oil-and-gas-development-and-production/">speaking at a Senate hearing</a>, West Virginia senator Joe Manchin (D) criticized the Biden administration, saying the oil and gas industry industry “needs signals from the administration that they will support oil and gas development and production.”
“Industry also needs signals from the administration that they will support oil and gas development and production,” Manchin stated. “That includes taking concrete steps, like working on a new five-year plan for the Gulf of Mexico since we know that the current plan expires at the end of June. The Administration’s failure to act to on the five-year plan combined with the failure to appeal the vacated lease-sale means that we’re almost certainly looking at no offshore lease sales until sometime next year, to say nothing about the failure to hold onshore sales.”
He slammed the Department of the Interior: “The fact of the matter is Gulf oil is the heaviest we produce and our refineries are well calibrated for it. It makes no sense at all to me that the decision was made by Interior to not appeal a ruling throwing out the largest Gulf lease sale, particularly when that decision was made several days after Russia invaded Ukraine. We cannot take a shot-sighted approach that pretends two years with lease-sales will have no impact on our domestic oil and gas production just because the brunt of production impact from the lack of leasing hasn’t hit yet, doesn’t mean we can ignore them.”
&nbsp;

US-POLITICS-BIDEN

While Gas Hits Record-High, Biden Administration Cancels Enormous Alaska Oil And Gas Lease Sale

Biden Administration cancels oil and gas lease in Cook Inlet in Alaska despite record high gas prices

Alaska

Biden Administration

Department of the Interior