Mexican Human Rights Commission Investigates Mysterious Death Of 3 U.S. Citizens Near Border

The mysterious deaths of Erica Alvarado, Alex Alvarado and Jose Angel Alvarado, all siblings, all American citizens, have prompted Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission to investigate in the northern Mexico border city where their bodies were discovered. The youths, all in their 20s, were kidnapped on October 13 according to witnesses, as they returned to Texas from a trip to visit their father in El Control. Mexico's National Human Rights Commission is an independent governmental body that investigates alleged cases of abuse. Following the grisly discovery, the organization sent several investigators to the border city of Matamoros.

The commission hopes to find answers to the multiple inquires about the death of the Alvarado siblings, who were each found bound at their hands and their feet, with a gun shot would to the head. There was also a fourth victim, identified as Jose Castaneda; the Alvarado family revealed that he was Erica’s boyfriend. All four were killed the same day they disappeared, according to a spokesman for the State Attorney General's Office. The siblings’ final resting place was located in the border state of Tamaulipas, which has experienced cartel-related violence for more than four years.

Due to the incessant violence and growing powers of the cartels, the local police force has been replaced with soldiers, marines, and federal and state police in attempt to not only the crimes but also corruption within the force. "Regrettably, this wave that is growing in our country has led to using marines or soldiers as municipal police," said Jose Javier Saldana Badillo, regional delegate for the Tamaulipas State Human Rights Commission in Matamoros.

On Tuesday, commission investigators conducted interviews with the employees of an import car lot. The lot is now at the center of the investigation after the parents of the Alvarado siblings stated that they found their slain children’s vehicle locked within. The import car lot was indentified as Alpha, and is owned by Luis Alfredo Biasi, who serves as social welfare secretary for the city of Matamoros. According to Fox News, following the interviews on Tuesday, the manager of the car lot stated that he had given a full statement to authorities, but wished to not discuss with the press. He also insisted that his name not be used, telling reporters that he feared reprisals. Following the investigations team arrival, the National Human Rights Commission released a statement saying it had started investigating the siblings' disappearances in October and is now looking into their homicides as well.