Mexico: Several Injured and One Child Dead Due to a Shooting Against Haitian Migrants

Sonora Police in the Border Perimeter, Aug 2024 Photo: @Cronicadexalapa

August 19, 2024 Hour: 1:48 pm

The Office of the Attorney-General of the State of Sonora confirmed the events, which took place in the vicinity of the municipality of Tubutama.

A tragic incident in the early hours of monday has left one child dead and eight migrants injured, following an armed attack on a vehicle being transported by human traffickers to the border with Arizona, United States.

Local residents alerted authorities to shots and cries for help, leading to the activation of the emergency Code Red protocol. The security forces, composed of the state police, the Mexican army and the national guard, were quickly deployed to deal with the situation and conduct a rescue operation.

Testimonies from residents of the municipality of Sáric, located approximately 54 kilometres from the border, indicate that all the victims are of Haitian origin. These people came to the town desperately asking for help. Upon arriving at the scene of the attack, authorities found a van-type vehicle burned and with multiple bullet holes, evidencing the brutality of the attack.

The Sonora Prosecutor’s Office reported that the five men and three women who were injured were immediately taken to the nearest IMSS-Bienestar hospital for medical care.

Investiga FGJE hechos de violencia en Tubutama

– Se lleva a cabo operativo coordinado entre instituciones de seguridad para dar con los responsables de un ataque a un vehículo

Hermosillo, Sonora; 18 de agosto de 2024.- Producto de un reporte atendido en las inmediaciones del… pic.twitter.com/pC8ovy4nbq
— Fiscalía de Sonora (@fgjesonora) August 18, 2024

Report by the General Attorney of Sonora

No arrests have been reported so far related to the attack, although authorities continue to search for those responsible using air and ground operational resources.

This type of aggression is not isolated; attacks on vehicles carrying migrants have increased in the desert region of Sonora, due to intense competition between criminal groups that traffic people from different parts of the world.

The migratory route through this area has been exploited by so-called «polleros», who take advantage of the lack of surveillance in the area to carry out their illegal activities.

The Office of the Attorney General has noted that the combination of the complex topography on the border and the relative impunity in these areas allows these gangs to operate easily, increasing the risk for those who try to cross into the United States in search of better opportunities.