Evidence suggests Mexican authorities engaged in “death flights” during the country’s “dirty war” from 1965 to 1990. The governmental Truth Commission revealed a report detailing how dissidents were executed as part of the government’s efforts to eradicate leftist movements. The victims, whose identities remain unknown, were taken to a military airfield near Acapulco under the pretense of having their photos taken. Instead, they were shot in the head and thrown out of planes into the Pacific ocean.
Gustavo Tarín, a former military police officer, disclosed that a specific pistol, dubbed “the sword of justice,” was frequently used in these killings. He estimated that up to 1,500 individuals might have been executed in this manner. Margarito Monroy, a military aviation mechanic, attested to participating in 15 of these flights, mentioning that female victims were sometimes coerced into sexual acts with soldiers in exchange for release, though no releases were witnessed.
The truth commission uncovered log books detailing approximately 30 flights conducted by one plane from the base between 1975 and 1979. Testimonies from a deserter mentioned an additional 25 flights by another aircraft, along with a list of 183 potential victims. While similar to Argentina’s well-known “death flights” in the 1970s, Mexico’s executions were less organized and more rudimentary.
This information forms part of a comprehensive 4,000-page report exposing widespread human rights abuses during the “dirty war,” involving executions, torture, disappearances, and forced displacement. Despite investigations dating back to the early 2000s, very few perpetrators have faced trial. The report identified 4,500 victims of severe abuse, with 1,450 documented deaths and 517 disappearances.
Recent excavation efforts near military bases have aimed to recover remains of those buried in clandestine graves, yielding limited success. The truth commission emphasized the obstruction of justice by institutions like the Army and National Intelligence Center, with documents being withheld or destroyed to conceal the truth. Calls have been made to investigate around 600 potential perpetrators, although many of them may have passed away.
Former president Luis Echeverría, who governed from 1970 to 1976, was accused of involvement in the “dirty war” in 2004. However, legal obstacles prevented his prosecution on genocide charges related to political killings. The legacy of these atrocities continues to haunt Mexico, with efforts ongoing to seek justice for the victims of the “death flights” and other human rights violations.
