Four people, including two Colombians, were killed when the vehicle they were driving in Mexico to the US border was fired on by a suspected criminal group, officials said.

The attack occurred on Sunday in the municipality of Villa de Cos in the violence-plagued north-central state of Zacatecas, according to a statement by local authorities.

"An organized crime group attacked a vehicle that was traveling on the federal highway... there are four people who lost their lives," it said.

A source from the state prosecutor's office, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to media, said two of the victims were originally from Colombia and believed to be related to each other.

Two Mexicans, including the driver, were also killed.

Four other passengers were injured, including two girls, authorities said.

One of the survivors told police they were headed to the northern border to try to cross over to the United States.

The authorities became aware of the attack when one of the survivors, accompanied by the two girls, came to ask for help from regional security forces.

The motive for the attack, according to authorities, was presumed to have been to steal the vehicle in which the group was traveling. They refused to obey the armed men who ordered them to stop.

Source Barrons

BDST: 1030 HRS, APRIL 26, 2023
MSK