Mexico’s National Guard shot and killed two Colombians and wounded four others in what the Defense Department claimed was a confrontation near the U.S. border.
What Happened?
The incident occurred on a remote road near Tecate, close to the California border. Mexican authorities stated that a National Guard patrol came under fire after encountering two suspicious trucks. While one vehicle escaped, the guard fired on the other, killing two Colombians and wounding four others.
The conditions of those wounded remain unclear and there were no reported casualties among the guardsmen involved.
Meanwhile, one Colombian and one Mexican man were found and detained unharmed at the scene, and the defense department said officers found a pistol and several magazines commonly used for assault rifles at the scene.
However, conflicting reports about the number of injured Colombians and lack of clarity on whether the group included migrants underscore the uncertainty surrounding the incident.
The Mexico’s Defense Department, which controls the National Guard, did not respond to The Associated Press’ requests for comment Monday on whether the victims were migrants, but it said one Colombian who was not injured in the shootings was turned over to immigration officials.
Colombians have increasingly found themselves entangled in Mexico’s brutal cartel operations, with some reportedly recruited as hired gunmen by powerful drug organizations that also play a significant role in human smuggling.
Yet, the latest incident involving Colombia nationals took an unexpected turn, with Mexican authorities handing over a surviving Colombian to immigration officials, and the Foreign Relations Department immediately contacted the Colombian consulate—a move suggesting that those involved were more likely migrants than cartel operatives.
Often, cartel-affiliated gunmen are known to either accompany migrant groups as protection or, in some cases, kidnap them for ransom en route to the U.S. border. In this case, officials speculate that armed smugglers may have been present in one or both of the trucks, while the Colombians were likely unarmed civilians caught in the chaos of Mexico’s increasingly militarized border regions.
Mexico’s defense department said the three National Guard officers who opened fire have been taken off duty.
Fernando Llano/AP
Similar Incidents
This comes after the Mexican government has faced increased scrutiny with previous criticism of the National Guard’s handling of migrant encounters.
Only weeks ago, a similar shooting incident occurred when soldiers opened fire on a truck, killing six migrants in the southern state of Chiapas. An 11-year-old girl from Egypt, her 18-year-old sister and a 17-year-old boy from El Salvador died in that shooting, along with people from Peru and Honduras.
Advocacy groups argue that Mexico’s militarized approach to law enforcement has amplified risks for civilians, particularly migrants, who are often vulnerable to both smugglers and law enforcement.
Former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who left office in late September, gave the military an unprecedentedly wide role in public life and law enforcement; he created the militarized Guard and used the combined military forces as the country’s main law enforcement agencies, supplanting police.
The Guard has since been placed under the control of the army.
But critics say the military is not trained to do civilian law enforcement work.
What Is Colombia Saying?
Colombia’s diplomatic response has so far been muted, with officials requesting clarification and justice for the victims.
In addition, Colombia’s foreign ministry said in a statement Sunday that all of the victims were migrants who had been “caught in the crossfire.”
However, the incident could strain bilateral relations and spotlight the dangers faced by migrants navigating treacherous paths to the U.S.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.