Soldiers from the Mexican Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA) opened fire on a group of 33 migrants of different nationalities who were moving behind a cargo vehicle in Chiapas.
The incident happened on the night of Tuesday, October 1, on a highway in Chiapas. According to a statement shared by the group this past Wednesday, at least six people lost their lives and 10 others were injured as a result.
The statement indicates that the soldiers noticed that there was a construction truck that was traveling at too high a speed on the Villa Comaltitlán-Huixtla highway, and that, when they saw the soldiers, they tried to escape
This would have put soldiers on guard, as the area is known for the presence of armed criminal groups.
When he moved to one side, the truck revealed that two trucks came behind him with tailgates, a type of vehicle that, according to SEDENA, is commonly used by this type of criminal groups.
After confirming that the two trucks were approaching, two soldiers started shooting at them, stopping one of these vehicles.
The soldiers put this into action by saying that they heard a loud noise, which they believed was damaging the weapons against them.
“Army personnel said they heard an explosion, so two elements activated their weapons, stopping one of the police vans from moving,” the statement said.
When they were examining the vehicle, they realized their mistake, because they saw that it was a group of migrants. These were from different countries, including Egypt, Nepal, Cuba, India and Pakistan.
“Army personnel gave first aid to the wounded, immediately transporting them by vehicle to the Huixtla General Hospital, in Chiapas, where two others unfortunately lost their lives,” the statement said.
The 17 people who were unharmed at the incident were arrested by the National Migration Institute (INM), which will decide whether they can stay in the country or be returned to their own countries.
Finally, SEDENA pointed out that the two soldiers who shot the migrants were already separated from their duties and reported to the Attorney General’s Office so that the necessary investigations could be carried out.
The statement concludes by pointing out that SEDENA was able to contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) so that the corresponding embassies are informed of what happened.
At this time, it is not known if any of the dead or injured were from the Greater Antilles, as the Cuban Embassy in Mexico has not commented on the matter.
