A letter to officials has been released which claims to be from a Mexican drug cartel that has been blamed for the kidnapping of four Americans and the murder of two of them.

In the letter, written by the Scorpions’ faction of the Gulf cartel, they apologized to residents of Matamoros where the four Americans were kidnapped.

They also apologized for the Mexican woman killed in the resulting shoot out, and the four Americans and their families.

The letter reads in part, “We have decided to turn over those who were directly involved and responsible in the events, who at all times acted under their own decision-making and lack of discipline.” The letter adds that the men went against the cartel’s rules which include “respecting the life and well-being of the innocent.”

Five men were found tied up inside one of the vehicles the authorities had been looking for, along with the letter.

The attempt at PR comes as the killing of the two Americans has heated up National Guard presence and Army special forces outfits running patrols, so the cartel has a vested interest in smoothing things over and putting this behind them.