Six migrants died and 10 others were injured when Mexican soldiers opened fire on a vehicle carrying 33 people near the Guatemala border, the Mexican defense ministry said Wednesday.
The incident occurred Tuesday evening about 25 miles north of the Guatemala border in Chiapas state. According to the ministry, a military patrol spotted the migrants’ pickup truck traveling at high speed and apparently attempting to evade a checkpoint.
Soldiers reported hearing explosions before two officers opened fire on the vehicle. The ministry said these officers have been removed from duty pending an investigation.
A police report obtained by Reuters stated that soldiers chased the vehicle after it failed to stop at an army checkpoint. The driver reportedly turned onto a dirt road in an attempt to escape but lost control of the vehicle.
The defense ministry said the migrants were from Egypt, Nepal, Cuba, India, and Pakistan, but did not specify the nationalities of those killed. Four people died at the scene, while two of the 12 wounded succumbed to their injuries in the hospital.
“We are committed to act in strict accordance with the rule of law, under a policy of zero-impunity,” the defense ministry stated, adding it would cooperate with civil authorities to investigate the incident.
This event occurs amid increasing pressure from the United States for Mexico to curb the flow of migrants traveling through the country to reach the U.S.-Mexico border.
Thousands of migrants traverse Mexico annually, often in overcrowded vehicles or atop freight trains, facing risks such as fatal accidents, kidnapping by criminal groups, and extortion by corrupt officials.
The incident has raised concerns about the use of force in migration control efforts and the safety of those attempting the perilous journey north. Federal prosecutors and a military tribunal are set to investigate the shooting.
