Search for US citizens kidnapped in northern Mexico

Mexican authorities are searching for four U.S. citizens reported by the FBI as kid napped in the border city of Matamoros after gunmen opened fire on the vehicle in which they were traveling.

They are believed to have crossed into Mexico from Texas last week to buy medicine but were caught in a shootout that killed at least one Mexican citizen.Amid the violence, thousands of Mexicans have disappeared just in Tamaulipas state, where Matamoros is located.

Shootouts in Matamoros were so bad on Friday that the U.S. Consulate issued an alert about the danger.Local authorities warned people to shelter in place.It was not immediately clear how the abductions may have been connected to that violence.The State Department warns U.S. citizens not to travel to Tamaulipas.