Four Americans kidnapped from minivan after driving into Mexico

Four U.S. citizens are missing after being kidnapped from their vehicle by unidentified armed men in Mexico, the FBI said in a statement.

The Americans came under fire from the gunmen shortly after crossing the border Friday into the city of Matamoros in Tamaulipas state, across from Brownsville, Tex., the FBI said Sunday. It said the Americans were in a white minivan with North Carolina plates.

“All four Americans were placed in a vehicle and taken from the scene by armed men,” according to the statement, posted on the website of the U.S. Embassy in Mexico.

Oliver Rich, the FBI special agent responsible for its San Antonio Division, said the bureau was seeking assistance from the public in identifying the kidnappers. The FBI did not identify the victims in its statement.

The FBI, which is investigating the kidnapping alongside Mexican law enforcement agencies, is offering a $50,000 reward as authorities seek the gunmen’s arrest and the return of the victims.