Key facts
- Mexico will file criminal complaints in US federal and local courts.
- The complaints concern the deaths of 17 Mexican migrants.
- 14 migrants died in immigration detention, and three were killed during ICE operations.
- The Mexican government has sent cease-and-desist letters to US detention centers.
- The recent killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo is cited as a key incident.
Mexico's foreign ministry announced that the country is filing criminal complaints with state prosecutors in the United States concerning the deaths of its citizens in U.S. immigration custody and during enforcement operations. The ministry also stated that cease-and-desist letters have been sent to U.S. detention centers where Mexican nationals have died. This action follows the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, which Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum described as "practically murdered." The Department of Homeland Security claims Salgado Araujo attempted to hit an ICE officer with his vehicle, a narrative disputed by witnesses. Salgado Araujo had lived in the U.S. for nearly 35 years and had no criminal record. Houston authorities are investigating the incident. The move comes amid strained relations between Mexico and the U.S., including reports of CIA agents operating in Mexico and U.S. charges against the governor of Sinaloa, whom Mexico has refused to extradite.