The Brownsville Police Department in Texas, across the border from Matamoros, Mexico, where four Americans were found after being kidnapped, said the tragic incident “should not define Mexico as a whole.”

Matamoros is like American cities in that it has “its bad locations and its good locations,” said Public Information Officer Martin Sandoval.

Kidnappings do not happen frequently despite public belief, Sandoval said. The last major case the city had was in the late 1980s, he said.

The police department recommends that Americans remain in the United States.

But if people decide to cross into Mexico, Sandoval encouraged them to follow federal guidelines, which include having a full tank of gas, staying as close to the port of entry as possible, going with a group of people and having a GPS, he said. saying.

“There are hundreds of people who go over the bridge every day,” Sandoval said, referring to the crossing to Matamoros, and some people are more concerned after this kidnapping, but some people are likely to continue crossing, he added.