Speculation about the veracity of the story from the wife of an American man reportedly shot by “lake pirates” on Falcon Lake along the Texas-Mexico border is “unwarranted,” Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Wednesday.
“I think speculation is unwarranted,” Napolitano said in a briefing with reporters. “The whole matter is under investigation, and as I said earlier, the thing that is going on now is a renewed search by the law enforcement in Tamaulipas [Mexico] to find the body.”
Tiffany Hartley said she and her husband David were jet skiing on the Mexican side of Falcon Lake six days ago when they were chased by people who the local sheriff suspects are Mexican pirates. Three boats chased them, shots were fired and her husband was shot in the head, she said. Her husband’s body has not been found, and some Mexican authorities have raised issues with the veracity of her story while others today said the investigation ongoing.
Napolitano has a meeting set up with her Mexican counterpart scheduled for this afternoon, she said. She said the federal government has been cooperating with local and Mexican authorities.
“We’ve been working with law enforcement on a number of levels, both with law enforcement in Texas, the sheriff there, also law enforcement in Tamaulipas. We’ve been in touch with federal law enforcement in Mexico,” she said. “Tamaulipas is going to do another dredge of the lake to see if they can find his body, and I think that work has begun today.”
Hartley defended her story on the Today Show on Wednesday. Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Wednesday that those who question Hartley’s story “ought to be ashamed.”
Meanwhile, the border sheriff declined to work with Mexican authorities on the search because the work would be dangerous, he said.
Additional reporting by Eric Lach.
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