- The Mexican Human Rights Commission (CNDH) has initiated an ex officio complaint regarding the massacre in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, where elements of the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) allegedly killed six young men driving a pick-up truck.
- The CNDH has accused Sedena of committing human rights violations and is contacting the relevant authorities and the victims’ families to clarify the facts and provide legal advice.
- The CNDH is also calling on civil associations, activists, and media to avoid the spread of disinformation and has called for a proper investigation.
The Mexican National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) initiated an ex officio complaint for the massacre in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, where elements of the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) allegedly killed half a dozen young people who were driving a pick-up truck.
On Sunday, February 26, six civilians were intercepted by Sedena personnel as they were driving through the Manuel Cavazos Lerma neighborhood after leaving a local nightclub. Preliminary reports indicate that the soldiers fired their weapons at the young men. Five of them died, and only one survived.
The white Chevrolet Silverado pick-up truck was shot more than twenty times at the intersection of Huasteca and Méndez. Neighbors of the area who witnessed the events indicated that two young men were shot a couple of times in the back of the head while lying on the pavement.
This caused the indignation of several neighborhood inhabitants since the victims were not armed. Therefore, they indicated there was no reason for the authorities to deprive them of their lives arbitrarily.
This is why the CNDH accused the Sedena of allegedly committing human rights violations against the young men. They contacted the authorities and the victims’ families to clarify the facts and provide them with legal advice if required.
“This autonomous constitutional body will carry out the investigation work that the law empowers, with all seriousness and responsibility, as I have done in other media cases. When it has all the necessary elements, it will issue the pertinent pronouncements.”
Likewise, the CNDH called civil associations, activists, and media that have made known what happened to “avoid the generation of disinformation through the dissemination of unverified data and unofficial versions.” This is because several local reports indicated that the victims were allegedly members of a criminal organization, which has not been confirmed.
Even the relatives of the five people who lost their lives have assured that the young people were innocent and accused this was an abuse of authority. It was reported that the only survivor of the incident remains in serious health condition.
Confrontation with the Sedena
After the events, relatives of the victims and residents of the area clashed with members of the Sedena while they tried to remove the pick-up truck where the civilians were traveling. The confrontation was recorded in several videos that were shared on social networks.
The video clips show an angry crowd (including young people and adults) throwing stones at the Sedena units. “We are going to destroy them,” several residents could shout. The shouting and shouting continued for a few moments until the military activated their firearms.
Due to the shots fired into the air, the Manuel Cavazos Lerma neighborhood residents began to disperse until the soldiers finally withdrew. During these actions, a reporter covering what happened accused the authorities of attacking him with a paralyzing object.
Among the people who were attacked by military personnel was Raymundo Ramos, president of the Human Rights Commission of Nuevo Laredo, who announced the identity of the five young men who died, who were Gustavo Pérez Beriles, Wilberto Mata Estrada, Jonathan Aguilar Sánchez, Gustavo Ángel Suárez Castillo (of U.S. origin) and Alejandro Trujullo Rocha.