Current:Home > Markets11 Mexican police officers convicted in murders of 17 migrants who were shot and burned near U.S. border-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
11 Mexican police officers convicted in murders of 17 migrants who were shot and burned near U.S. border
View Date:2024-12-23 19:10:04
Eleven Mexican former police officers were found guilty on Thursday in the murders of 17 migrants who were shot and burned near the United States border, prosecutors said.
The prosecutor's office said in a statement it had "managed to obtain a conviction" against 11 police officers charged with homicide, while another one was found guilty of abuse of office.
After a trial that lasted more than three months, judge Patricio Lugo Jaramillo ruled there was enough evidence to convict the former police officers.
The killings took place on Jan. 21, 2021 in the community of Santa Anita in Tamaulipas state, close to the border with the United States, where 16 migrants from Guatemala and one from Honduras were headed.
The victims "lost their lives due to gunshot wounds and were subsequently incinerated," the prosecutor's statement read.
Initially, 12 police officers were charged with murder, but one of them had the charge softened to abuse of authority in exchange for cooperating with the investigation.
The charred bodies were found in a truck in the municipality of Camargo, a major smuggling transit point for drugs and migrants. Organized crime groups covet control of stretches of the border because they make money off everything that crosses the border.
Camargo is near the edge of territory historically controlled by the Gulf cartel and in recent years a remnant of the Zetas known at the Northeast cartel has tried to take over.
A total of 19 bodies were discovered, including the remains of two Mexicans who, authorities said, were human traffickers who were going to take the migrants to the border.
At least 853 migrants died trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border unlawfully over a 12-month span in 2021-2022, making fiscal year 2022 the deadliest year for migrants recorded by the U.S. government, according to internal Border Patrol data obtained by CBS News.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
- In:
- Mexico
- United States Border Patrol
- Murder
- Cartel
- Migrants
veryGood! (6169)
Related
- Groups seek a new hearing on a Mississippi mail-in ballot lawsuit
- OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush said in 2021 he'd broken some rules in design of Titan sub that imploded
- Arizona GOP election official files defamation suit against Kari Lake
- OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush said in 2021 he'd broken some rules in design of Titan sub that imploded
- South Carolina lab recaptures 5 more escaped monkeys but 13 are still loose
- Public Comments on Pipeline Plans May Be Slipping Through Cracks at FERC, Audit Says
- Obama’s Oil Tax: A Conversation Starter About Climate and Transportation, but a Non-Starter in Congress
- Here's What's Coming to Netflix in June 2023: The Witcher Season 3, Black Mirror and More
- Threat closes Spokane City Hall and cancels council meeting in Washington state
- Here's How Succession Ended After 4 Seasons
Ranking
- As the transition unfolds, Trump eyes one of his favorite targets: US intelligence
- Here's What You Missed Since Glee: Inside the Cast's Real Love Lives
- Department of Energy Program Aims to Bump Solar Costs Even Lower
- Senate 2020: In South Carolina, Graham Styles Himself as a Climate Champion, but Has Little to Show
- Halle Berry surprises crowd in iconic 2002 Elie Saab gown from her historic Oscar win
- Paul Walker's Brother Cody Names His Baby Boy After Late Actor
- Here's your chance to buy Princess Leia's dress, Harry Potter's cloak and the Batpod
- Even the Hardy Tardigrade Will Take a Hit From Global Warming
Recommendation
-
Jason Kelce Offers Up NSFW Explanation for Why Men Have Beards
-
'No kill' meat, grown from animal cells, is now approved for sale in the U.S.
-
As ‘Tipping Point’ Nears for Cheap Solar, Doors Open to Low-Income Families
-
Charities say Taliban intimidation diverts aid to Taliban members and causes
-
Opinion: NFL began season with no Black offensive coordinators, first time since the 1980s
-
Intermittent fasting may be equally as effective for weight loss as counting calories
-
OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush said in 2021 he'd broken some rules in design of Titan sub that imploded
-
Brittany Cartwright Reacts to Critical Comments About Her Appearance in Mirror Selfie