25 Years for Kidnapping 4 Americans in Matamoros, Across From Brownsville: Mexican Court Sentences 6 Men in 2023 Attack That Killed 2 South Carolina Friends — One Gets 37 Years
Six men were sentenced Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, to 25 years and three days in prison over the March 2023 kidnapping of four Americans in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, the Mexican border city across from Brownsville, Texas. Two of the four, friends who had driven down from South Carolina, were shot dead. Tamaulipas’ state prosecutor’s office (FGJT) announced the sentences, according to Milenio, N+ and an Associated Press report published by Proceso. AP describes the six as alleged members of the Gulf Cartel.
The sentences
Milenio and N+ reported that a state trial court found the six guilty of “disappearance committed by private individuals.” The men are identified only as Juan Francisco, Antonio de Jesús, Gustavo Marcelino, Luis Valdez, Ever Noel and José Guadalupe, with surname initials withheld under Mexican practice. AP gives their ages as 24 to 41.
Ever Noel, whom AP identifies as a Guatemalan national, received another 12 years for intentional homicide, for a total of 37 years and three days. Milenio and N+ reported that he was also ordered to pay 113,595.03 pesos in damages plus 25,242 pesos in funeral costs. According to Milenio, a separate, unnamed person received two years in prison and a one-year ban from public office for abuse of authority. Authorities also seized four vehicles, an ambulance, a lot and two buildings in the case, Milenio and N+ said.
What happened in March 2023
On March 3, 2023, the four had crossed into Matamoros so Latavia “Tay” McGee could have cosmetic surgery, AP reported. Armed men opened fire on their minivan, which had North Carolina plates according to N+. The gunmen took them to El Tecolote, about 15 kilometers from the Texas border. Zindell Brown, whom AP’s report names as Zindell Raquiville McLinley, and Shaeed Woodard died of gunshot wounds. A Mexican woman, Areli Pablo Servando, 33, was also killed.
McGee and Eric Williams, who had been shot, were found alive on March 6 after a friend in Brownsville asked the FBI for help, AP said. Milenio’s report dates the rescue to 2025, which looks like a typo. On March 9, 2023, five suspects were left tied up on a Matamoros street beside a banner, attributed to the Gulf Cartel, that apologized for the kidnapping.
What is still open
None of the reports reviewed name defense lawyers or say whether the six will appeal. AP noted that the case also prompted U.S. investigations into arms trafficking to the group, with one suspect brought before a federal court in Houston. For crossing conditions, see our Matamoros–Brownsville safety page.
Sources
- Associated Press, via Proceso, “Dan 25 años de cárcel a implicados en el secuestro de 4 estadunidenses en Matamoros,” Oct. 6, 2026
- Milenio, “Dan 25 años de prisión a seis por desaparición de cuatro extranjeros en Matamoros,” Oct. 6, 2026
- N+, “Condenan a Seis Hombres por Desaparición de Cuatro Estadounidenses en Matamoros,” Oct. 6, 2026
- Photos: AP, via Proceso; Tamaulipas prosecutor’s office (FGJT), via N+
Reported Oct. 7, 2026, from the sources above. The Narco Blog did not review the court ruling itself. The cartel affiliation is AP’s description, and the prosecutor’s statement as reported does not name a cartel. The sentences may be appealed.