MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s newly elected president acknowledged on Tuesday the tragic deaths of three civilians, including an eight-year-old girl, resulting from two violent altercations involving military personnel last week in a border town marked by unrest. President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the incidents that took place on Friday and Saturday in Nuevo Laredo, a city adjacent to Laredo, Texas, where a soldier also lost his life. She stated that investigations into the events are ongoing.
Despite the unfortunate fatalities, Sheinbaum showed no indication of diminishing the significant role that the armed forces have been playing in public security tasks, a trend initiated by her predecessor. The chaos in Nuevo Laredo began when a nurse, her husband, and their son inadvertently found themselves on a road where soldiers were engaging suspects in a police chase. Víctor Carrillo Martínez, the husband, informed local media that his wife was caught in the crossfire during this altercation.
According to Sheinbaum, the soldier’s death was the result of a gunfight that erupted when criminals targeted an army vehicle. “It is essential to highlight that Nuevo Laredo has been a hotspot for criminal groups attacking the army and the National Guard,” she commented. The region has long been plagued by the Northeast Cartel, an offshoot of the notorious Zetas gang.
The second incident occurred the following day, when the eight-year-old girl and her grandmother were traveling to a store. The grandmother recounted that their car became trapped in the middle of a military pursuit targeting an SUV, leading to a barrage of gunfire from soldiers. Nearby, the Human Rights Commission of Nuevo Laredo discovered the body of a young man who had been tortured, inside a vehicle that was part of the military pursuit.
Sheinbaum confirmed the deaths resulting from the shootings and emphasized that the incidents involved the militarized National Guard. She assured that any misconduct by officials will be appropriately addressed. The Defense Department, which oversees the National Guard, refrained from making an immediate statement regarding the shootings.
In a separate incident last week, military personnel were involved in another shooting that claimed the lives of six migrants and injured ten. This event, which took place near Tapachula near the Guatemalan border, saw soldiers opening fire on a truck after they reportedly heard gunfire. Among the deceased was an eleven-year-old girl from Egypt. This area is frequently exploited by migrant smugglers and is also a battleground for competing drug cartels.
Former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who vacated his office on September 30, had granted the military an extraordinary level of authority in public safety and law enforcement. He established the militarized National Guard and positioned these military forces as the principal law enforcement body in Mexico.
Military analyst Juan Ibarrola indicated that such violent encounters do not signify a failure of discipline on the army’s part but are indicative of the serious threats they face in various regions of the country. “This isn’t a training issue,” Ibarrola maintained, “Mexican soldiers have been active in these environments for three decades.” He noted that soldiers are aware they must adhere to the law, unlike some individuals in society.
However, critics argue that military personnel are not adequately trained for civilian law enforcement duties. Raymundo Ramos, who leads the human rights committee in Nuevo Laredo, claimed that the military operates without significant oversight from civilian authorities. “It seems that no one is willing to hold the military accountable in this country,” he asserted.