On Monday, October 9, 2023, near the US-Mexico border, two Guatemalan migrants lost their lives, while three other Guatemalans and a Honduran man were injured in a shooting incident.
The incident occurred near the Santa Teresa Border crossing west of Ciudad Juarez, a location that faces El Paso, Texas.
According to survivors, they were driving towards the US border wall in a truck, equipped with a ladder meant to scale the wall, when they came under fire.
The injured primarily sustained wounds to their legs, which are not believed to be life-threatening. The reason for the shooting, as of now, remains unknown.
The involvement of Mexican army soldiers in the incident is under scrutiny. The army has submitted four soldiers to give their testimonies about the event. It is not clear if these soldiers are official suspects in the case. Additionally, a fifth soldier who was apparently in the patrol vehicle has not been located.
Highlighting the frequency of military patrols in the area, Prosecutor Carlos Manuel Salas noted that the army regularly surveys the vicinity where the incident occurred. In past incidents in northern Mexico, there have been reports of troops opening fire on vehicles they deemed suspicious or those that refused to stop.
The Mexican army has also handed over four rifles for ballistic testing in connection to the investigation. As this case involves federal forces, it will be forwarded to federal prosecutors for further examination. It is important to note that this event isn’t an isolated case. In the past, Mexican and Texan National Guard officers and state police have been implicated in shootings.