A federal immigration agent in Mexico was killed Monday afternoon by a gaggle of migrants within the northern state of Chihuahua after he demanded to see his identification paperwork, the nation’s migration company stated.
The agent, recognized as Luis Alberto Olivas Garcia, was attacked at Precos-Samalayuca, a migration checkpoint about 30 miles south of the Mexican metropolis of Ciudad Juarez, which is throughout the border from El Paso, Texas, stated the Nationwide Institute of Migration in assertion.
There have been conflicting statements from Mexican officers about how many individuals have been arrested. The nationwide authorities’ assertion stated three individuals – two Venezuelans and a Colombian – however a spokesman for Chihuahua’s safety ministry, Jorge Armendariz, stated solely two Venezuelans had been detained by authorities authorities.
No fees had been filed as of Monday night.
Consultants stated the killing of an immigration agent in Mexico is uncommon.
Preliminary stories point out that the agent suffered a number of wounds, probably brought on by a pointy weapon, and a head harm, most probably brought on by a rock, in accordance with Mr. Armendáriz. Mr. Olivas Garcia was acknowledged earlier Monday for his 30 years of service, Mr. Armendariz added.
A spokeswoman for Colombian migration authorities stated Monday night time that the federal government was investigating the episode and couldn’t remark additional. Venezuelan authorities didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The episode comes as unlawful crossings on the U.S.-Mexico border have declined because the summer time as Mexico stepped up enforcement efforts. The Biden administration additionally imposed broad restrictions in June, making it rather more troublesome for migrants getting into the US illegally to hunt asylum.
The killing additionally comes as many undocumented migrants and asylum seekers hope to achieve the US earlier than President-elect Donald J. Trump takes workplace on January 20. deterred some from moving northwhereas others have rushed to the border in an try to cross.
Mexican safety forces said final week that they detained greater than 475,000 migrants between October 1 and December 26 – practically 68 % extra apprehensions than the identical interval final yr, in accordance with government data.
Mexico’s efforts embody buses migrants to the south in Mexico, dissolution of caravans and introduction a few bureaucratic hurdles to keep up stress alongside the border with the US.
“We predict it is a mannequin that works, which may all the time be improved, but it surely has responded very satisfactorily to this phenomenon,” Juan Ramon de la Fuente, Mexico’s overseas minister, stated at a press convention on Friday.
Tonatiu Guillen, who headed Mexico’s Nationwide Migration Institute underneath the earlier authorities, stated that whereas fewer individuals had been crossing from Mexico, the killing may very well be used to justify harsher ways towards migrants, together with these in the US.
“My largest concern is that the manipulation of the occasion could lead on the US to justify extra aggressive initiatives towards the migrant inhabitants — not solely by the federal government but in addition by civilian teams which have been radicalized,” he stated.
Isayen Herrera contributed reporting from Caracas, Venezuela.
