Admitting a big “oops,” the Mexican drug cartel said in a note that it apologized for the murder of two Americans who had gone across the border for medical treatment, saying it will turn over the members of the gang responsible for the killings to police, the Associated Press reports. A photo depicting five bound men lying face down on the pavement, presumably the responsible gang members, accompanied the letter.
“We have decided to turn over those who were directly involved and responsible in the events, who at all times acted under their own decision-making and lack of discipline,” the letter from the Scorpions faction of the Gulf drug cartel reads. It goes on to say the cartel’s rules include “respecting the life and well-being of the innocent,” and that the people who kidnapped the Americans and killed two while injuring one were going against those rules. Mexican law enforcement officials could not confirm the suspects were in police custody.