The Attorney General of Mexico confirmed on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 that the staff in charge of a detention center in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, did nothing to evacuate people trapped in a fire that left a balance of 39 migrants dead.
In a press conference, the head of the Special Prosecutor for Human Rights, Sara Irene Herrerías, assured that “none of the public servants or the private security police carried out any action to open the door to the migrants who were already inside with the fire”.
The omission of the detention center staff has led to the identification of eight people as alleged perpetrators, including two federal agents and a state immigration agent, as well as five members of a private security company. The Secretary of Security, Rosa Icela Rodríguez, confirmed that four arrest warrants will be issued against the alleged perpetrators.
The Special Prosecutor for Human Rights also announced that the death of the migrants will be investigated as an alleged homicide. “The file for the crime of homicide and damage to property of others was started, but according to the investigations, other crimes will be analyzed,” declared Herrerías.
A thorough investigation will be carried out
The alleged perpetrators are already giving their statements to the Prosecutor’s Office, according to Herrerías. The Security Secretary updated the death toll from 38 to 39 and confirmed that 27 people were injured in the fire. Six of the victims are in extremely serious condition, ten in serious condition and nine in critical condition.
The tragic incident has sparked outrage and shock in Mexico and around the world. The omission of the staff of the detention center has been considered as a gross act of negligence that endangered the lives of the people detained in the center. Mexican authorities have vowed to carry out a thorough investigation and ensure that justice is served for the victims of the fire.