2 Americans Dead, Teenager Critical After Attack In Mexico

A tragic incident in Mexico has left two Americans dead and a teenager critically injured after an attack Friday. The shooting occurred near Las Palmas, Durango, where the victims were traveling in an SUV with Illinois license plates. The two Americans, identified as Vicente Peña Rodríguez and Antonio Fernández Rodríguez, were fatally shot, along with local resident Jorge Eduardo Vargas Aguirre.

The 14-year-old son of Peña Rodríguez, whose name has not been disclosed, was severely injured and is now in a medically induced coma. Family members had traveled to Mexico to celebrate his birthday but now find themselves struggling with the aftermath of a violent assault.

Three of the four family members were killed, and one was critically injured in a shooting in Durango, Mexico, last week. Of the four shot, three were Americans and one was a local resident. pic.twitter.com/iHM6MoUCcG

— Geopolitical Kid (@Geopoliticalkid) January 1, 2025

The boy’s grandfather, Vicente Peña, was visibly shaken as he described the events. “It was a massacre,” Peña said, detailing the brutal nature of the attack. The family is now focused on trying to get the injured teenager back to the U.S., though doctors in Mexico say it’s too dangerous to move him.

Authorities have not disclosed the motive behind the attack, which occurred in an area known for its beauty but also increasingly associated with violence. As U.S. citizens face growing concern about the safety of traveling to Mexico, the family is left coping with grief and uncertainty.

There are no immediate plans for government intervention, but the U.S. embassy in Mexico has been notified.