Mexico does not find properties in the name of El Mayo Zambada

The Mexican government filed 20 criminal complaints in the United States to investigate the deaths of at least 17 Mexicans in the custody of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE). The deaths occurred since May 2025.

The complaints were filed with eight state prosecutors’ offices and 12 county prosecutors’ offices in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri and Texas. The Attorney General’s Office (FGR) sent a formal appeal to the Department of Justice to request the opening of investigations and find out the progress of each file.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) also requested the intervention of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk. The objective is to evaluate whether the cases comply with the United States’ international obligations to protect human rights. This action marks a shift: from diplomatic protests to legal and multilateral mechanisms.

The case that triggered the greatest pressure was the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who died during an immigration operation in Houston, Texas, on July 7. Based on that fact, the Mexican government placed the situation of migrants in ICE custody as a priority issue in the bilateral relationship.

While the investigations continue, the Mexican consular network provides legal advice, support for the repatriation of remains and administrative procedures to the families of the victims. The SRE will follow up on the responses of the US authorities, although it recognized that the process to achieve investigations and sanctions could extend for a long period.

Civil organizations called for a day of protest in Mexico City to demand justice for the 17 Mexicans who died in the custody of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) in the United States. The mobilization will take place on Saturday, July 25 at 11:00 a.m. at the Monument to the Revolution, simultaneously with demonstrations in several American cities.

Mobilization in the capital

Collectives such as Conexión Migrante called the rally in memory of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Johan Sebastián Guerrero, two of the compatriots who recently died. The organizers pointed out that these cases should not go unpunished or become just another statistic.

The protest seeks to denounce the criminalization of migrant communities and the separation of families, in addition to demanding that US authorities investigate the deaths. They also expressed solidarity with deportees, returnees and migrants in vulnerable situations.

Actions of the Government of Mexico

In parallel, the Government of Mexico maintains diplomatic efforts to clarify the facts. Ambassador Roberto Lazzeri presented 20 complaints to state and county prosecutors in the entities where the deaths occurred.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the Mexican Embassy delivered to the United States Department of Justice a complaint prepared by the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic about the 17 cases, with the formal request to open the corresponding investigations.

The mobilization seeks to make visible the situation of migrants and the need for changes in migration policies. The organizations hope that the day will serve as a call to reflection and action in both countries.

Journalist Francisco Alejandro Leyva Aguilar was shot dead this Wednesday in San Pablo Etla, Oaxaca. The attack occurred while he was sitting at a street food stand.

Leyva was director of the Oaxacan Radio and Television Corporation (Cortv). In his last months he disseminated political and social analyzes through his column “El zumbido del Moscardón”.

Governor Salomón Jara expressed his solidarity with the communicator’s family. He stated that no difference due to the exercise of criticism can justify an act of violence. Jara also emphasized that violence is not the solution and called for finding avenues for dialogue.

This fact adds to other cases of attacks against journalists in Mexico, which generates concern in the union. Leyva was known for his work in local media and his career in Oaxacan communication.