A tragic case of mistaken identity led to the death of a 22-year-old American woman, Isabel Ashanti Gomez, in Mexico. Gomez was traveling with her father, Valentin, in his Ford F-150 pickup truck when they were ambushed by members of a Mexican cartel on the Zitácuaro-Aputzio highway in Juárez, a region known to be under cartel control.
The father-daughter duo was targeted after they failed to stop at a makeshift roadblock, believed to have been set up by the notoriously violent Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Instead of stopping, Valentin attempted to break through the barrier, leading the cartel members to mistakenly assume they were part of a rival gang.
The cartel members opened fire on the truck, resulting in a fatal hail of bullets that claimed the life of Gomez. Local news outlets confirmed the incident. Valentin and a 26-year-old friend, identified only as Danae, were also seriously injured in the attack.
The incident occurred just hours after Gomez had posted a video of herself dancing with her uncle to celebrate his birthday. The caption of the video read, “I hope you keep celebrating many more birthdays. See you later, after I’ve had a shower.”
Gomez, who held dual US-Mexico citizenship, frequently visited the area with her family. The circumstances surrounding the shooting are still under investigation by local authorities.