Six migrants have been killed after Mexican soldiers opened fire on a vehicle carrying 33 people in southern Mexico, near the border with Guatemala.
The Mexican defense ministry reported that the incident, which occurred on Tuesday evening, also left 10 migrants injured.
The ministry stated that a military patrol had spotted the pick-up vehicle speeding and attempting to avoid being stopped.
According to soldiers, they heard explosions, leading two officers to fire shots. The two officers involved have been suspended pending an investigation.
This event took place roughly 40 kilometers north of the Guatemalan border. Mexico has been under increasing pressure from the U.S. to curb the flow of migrants traveling through the country toward the U.S. border.
A police report, cited by Reuters, indicated that the soldiers pursued the vehicle after it failed to stop at a military checkpoint.
The chase ended when the driver turned onto a dirt road, losing control of the vehicle.
The migrants onboard were from countries including Egypt, Nepal, Cuba, India, and Pakistan, though the defense ministry did not specify the nationalities of those who died.
Four people died on the spot, while two others succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. The remaining 17 passengers were turned over to immigration authorities.
In response to the incident, the ministry reaffirmed its commitment to “act in strict accordance with the rule of law, under a policy of zero-impunity,” and pledged cooperation with civil authorities to clarify the events.
Both federal prosecutors and a military tribunal are investigating.
Thousands of migrants pass through Mexico each year in overcrowded vehicles, facing dangers such as fatal accidents, abduction by criminal groups, and extortion.
In December 2021, a smuggling truck overturned in Chiapas, killing 56 mostly Central American migrants.
Source-BBC
