Bodies of three US siblings found in Mexico: prosecutor
Mexico City (AFP) - The bodies of three US siblings of Mexican descent believed to have been kidnapped by armed assailants more than two weeks ago were found in Mexico's troubled Tamaulipas state, a prosecutor said Thursday.
The three bodies were badly decomposed but the victims, two men and a woman in their 20s, have been identified by their father, state prosecutor Ismael Quintanilla told local radio.
"We are able to say that these are the young people," Quintanilla said.
The victims are believed to be 26-year-old Erica Alvarado Rivera, 26, and her brothers Alex, 22, and Jose Angel, 21. Their identities are to be confirmed via DNA analysis.
Their bodies were found on Wednesday near Matamoros, a town on the US border not far from Brownsville, Texas. A fourth body also was found at the scene, Quintanilla said.
The three siblings are from Texas and had crossed the border to visit their father.
Their parents had said their children were kidnapped on October 13 by armed men in the town of Control, west of Matamoros.
Their mother, Raquel Alvarado, claimed the kidnappers were members of the entourage of Control's mayor, Leticia Salazar. Quintanilla said nine of Salazar's bodyguards have been called in for questioning.
