Officials in Mexico confirmed that two of the four Americans who were kidnapped last week were found dead Tuesday after a shootout between rival drug cartel gangs. One of the surviving Americans was wounded in the leg and the other was unharmed.

Tamaulipas Gov. Americo Villarreal confirmed the deaths by phone, saying ​​"two of them are dead, one person is injured and the other is alive," during a news conference with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. A suspect is in custody.

"Ambulances and the rest of the security personnel are on their way right now to offer support," Villarreal said. Tamaulipas is the Mexican-Texas border state where the kidnappings took place last week.

The search for the four Americans began late last week when the FBI said the group had been assaulted and kidnapped after crossing the border seeking medical attention.

Latavia "Tay" Washington McGee, 33, drove to Mexico with Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown and Eric Williams, to receive a tummy-tuck surgery, according to CNN. A Mexican official said the two survivors identified themselves as McGee and Williams.

Ken Salazar, the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, said in a statement Monday that an innocent Mexican bystander was also killed in the attack.

A video that circulated social media Friday appears to show the kidnapping, depicting three armed men dragging people across the ground and then lifting and dropping them in the bed of a white pickup truck.

The Americans were found in a rural area east of Tamaulipas called Ejido Longoreno, on the path to the local beach known as Playa Baghdad, according to the Associated Press.

The White House, U.S. State Department and Justice Department are all coordinating the return of the Americans and have been in contact with the Mexican government regarding their safety.

John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, told reporters Tuesday that while justice will be served, the priority is the return of the surviving members of the group.

"Attacks on U.S. citizens are unacceptable, no matter where or under what circumstances they occur. And we're going to work closely with the Mexican government to ensure that justice is done in this case. Right now, our immediate concerns are the safe return of our citizens, the health and the well-being of those who survived his attack," Kirby said.

The U.S.-Mexico border is one of the most active in the world, despite an uptick in violence in border cities in recent years.

Matamoros, the city where the kidnapping occurred, was once a vibrant tourist destination. The region has grown increasingly more violent which has prompted strong warnings for visitors.

U.S. Mexico Immigration