MEXICO CITY – Mexican authorities have arrested soldiers involved in a patrol that shot at a pickup truck, resulting in the deaths of six migrants, federal prosecutors announced on Thursday, just two days after the incident.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the killings that occurred on the day of her inauguration, while the country’s Catholic bishops expressed strong criticism of the increasing power of the military.
The incident took place in southern Chiapas state near the border with Guatemala on Tuesday, when soldiers opened fire on a truck carrying 33 migrants, resulting in six deaths and 10 injuries.
“It’s a regrettable event and it must be investigated and punished,” said Sheinbaum during a press conference. “A situation like this cannot be repeated.”
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Mexican federal prosecutors have confirmed that three of the victims were Egyptian nationals, while one was from Honduras and another from Peru. President Sheinbaum also mentioned that one of the deceased migrants was from El Salvador.
However, later on Thursday, the Honduran foreign minister refuted claims that any Honduran nationals were among the deceased.
Prosecutors reported that the remaining 27 migrants included citizens from Egypt, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Cuba.
In a statement, prosecutors revealed that the soldiers are under investigation, with local authorities collaborating with human rights experts, immigration officials, the Guatemalan government, and Interpol.
The surviving migrants are being interviewed with support from their respective consulates, along with psychologists and other specialized personnel, the statement added.
Initially describing the deadly incident, Mexico’s defense ministry stated that soldiers opened fire after the pickup truck attempted to evade a military patrol, claiming the soldiers heard explosions before two officers discharged their weapons.
In a statement released later on Thursday, Mexico’s Catholic bishops condemned what they termed the “disproportionate use of lethal force” by the soldiers.
“This tragedy arises not as an isolated event, but as a consequence of the militarization of migration policy and an increased presence of armed forces on the southern border of the country, which has been a constant,” the statement noted, while also calling for an impartial investigation into the incident.
Peru’s government also condemned the killings in a statement on Wednesday, urging Mexican authorities to conduct a thorough investigation.
The office of El Salvador’s president did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Egypt’s Mexican embassy indicated that it had no information to share.
A security crisis has been escalating in the southern region of Mexico that borders Guatemala, where a territorial conflict among powerful criminal groups has resulted in a significant rise in violence over the past year.
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