Six international migrants trying to enter Mexico were killed in firing by the Mexican army. Mexican Army opened fire on a truck carrying migrants from other countries, including Indians, near the Guatemala border, killing 6 migrants. The Mexican Defense Department said on Wednesday that 6 people have died in the firing by our soldiers, while 10 are injured.
A Mexican Defense Department official said soldiers claimed they heard gunfire late Tuesday as a truck and two other vehicles were traveling near the southern state of Chiapas. Due to firing of bullets, two soldiers who reached there to investigate also opened fire on the truck which hit the migrants from India, Egypt, Nepal, Cuba and Pakistan.
Four died at the scene of the incident
When the soldiers went near the truck, they found four migrants dead while 12 people were injured, two of whom died during treatment. According to local people, all those who died died due to gunshot. However, it was not clarified by the Mexican Defense Department whether the migrants died due to gunfire by soldiers or whether any weapons were found in the truck.
There were 17 more migrants also, the army detained
The truck which was fired upon by the soldiers also had 17 other migrants, who were safely taken into custody by the army. The area is a common route for illegal migrant smuggling. Here, attempts are made to cross the border by hiding in trucks and other vehicles, due to which many times people even die. It was told by the Defense Department that the two soldiers who opened fire without any order have been removed from duty until the investigation is completed. If soldiers are found guilty in this incident, they may have to face court martial.
This route is known for illegal immigrants and drug smugglers. This is not the first time the Mexican military has fired on vehicles carrying migrants. The biggest reason for the excessive military presence here is the drug cartels that are maintaining their empire inside the countries without any control. The army is deployed here only to stop these smugglers and illegal immigrants. In the same area in 2021, the paramilitary National Guard fired on a pickup truck carrying migrants, killing one and wounding four.
Migrant rights activist Irineo Mujica said that I accompany these migrants many times. It is impossible that these people fired on the army. Most of the time they manage with bribes.
