Mexican Soldiers Kill Six Migrants in Tragic Incident
In a devastating turn of events, six migrants lost their lives after Mexican soldiers opened fire on a vehicle carrying a group of 33 individuals traveling in the southern region of the country.
The Mexican defense ministry revealed that another 10 migrants sustained injuries during the incident that took place on Tuesday evening, approximately 25 miles (40km) north of the Guatemala border.
The ministry stated that a military patrol spotted the migrants’ pick-up truck speeding, making an apparent effort to evade being stopped.
Soldiers reportedly heard explosions, leading two officers to fire their weapons. They have since been relieved of duty pending an investigation.
Mexico is facing pressure from the US to curb the influx of migrants traversing the country en route to the American border.
According to a police report from the southern Chiapas state, the soldiers pursued the vehicle after it ignored an army checkpoint, resorting to gunfire in an attempt to halt it.
The driver veered onto a dirt road in a bid to escape but ultimately lost control of the vehicle.
The defense ministry disclosed that the migrants hailed from Egypt, Nepal, Cuba, India, and Pakistan. The nationalities of the deceased were not specified.
Four individuals perished at the scene, while two of the 12 wounded succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. The remaining 17 passengers were handed over to immigration authorities.
Federal prosecutors have been notified, and a military tribunal will conduct an investigation into the matter.
Emphasizing their commitment to upholding the rule of law with zero tolerance for impunity, the defense ministry expressed readiness to cooperate with civil authorities in uncovering the truth.
Every year, thousands of migrants traverse Mexico via buses, overcrowded trucks, and freight trains in a bid to reach the US-Mexico border.
They face perilous risks such as fatal accidents, abduction by criminal syndicates, and exploitation by corrupt officials.
Tragically, in December 2021, a truck operated by human smugglers overturned in Chiapas, claiming the lives of 56 migrants primarily from Central America. – BBC
