Sedena prosecuted four soldiers for shooting in the massacre of youths in Nuevo Laredo

There Secretary of National Defense (Seden) pursued four soldiers for the crime of disobedience considering that they used their weapons in the massacre where five young people were murdered at dawn on February 26 in New Laredo, Tamaulipas.

According to the version of events of the sedenaaround 5 a.m. on Sunday, February 26, as members of the mexican army were making their rounds of surveillance, agents from a security operations base New Laredo they heard gunshots, so they headed in the direction they came from.

Military elements sighted a type of truck pick up with seven people on board who, according to the Defense Secretariatthey were driving at high speed with their lights off and without license plates, so when they observed the presence of troops, they accelerated unexpectedly and evasively, but collided with a parked vehicle.

After the collision of the truck, which caused a great noise, “the soldiers fired their firearms, killing the young people identified as Gustavo Perez Beriles, Wilberto Mata EstradaJonathan Aguilar Sanchez, Alejandro Trujillo Rocha and Gustavo Angel Suarez Castillowho is a US citizen.

There sedena clarified that another crew member, identified as Louis Gerard He was taken to a private hospital with gunshot wounds to his body, where he is believed to be still in serious condition. He Nuevo Laredo Human Rights Committee reported that the van the youths were traveling in had at least 20 gunshot wounds and that two people had been “finished off” in the neck as they lay on the pavement.

Due to these facts, the Attorney General of the Republic (RFG) and the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) opened an investigation file to determine the responsibilities.

At the time, the sedena had indicated that it would open investigations through the Attorney General of Military Justice on the troops involved. However, journalist Ciro Gómez Leyva announced during his newscast on Imagen Televisión that at least 4 of the soldiers involved in the events have already been prosecuted by military authorities.

The elements, according to the journalist, have already been interviewed by the FGR and according to what the investigations of the civil and military authorities show, the soldiers could be accused by the military jurisdiction for disobediencewhile the Federation Prosecutor’s Office could charge them with homicide and bodily harm.

According to Code of Military Justicewhoever commits the crime of disobedience “he who does not execute or respect the order of a superior, modifies it on his own authority or exceeds his limits in executing it”, incurs one to two years in prison according to the seriousness of the offense there.

” Art. 303.- Disobedience in acts of service will be punished with one year in prison., except in cases next: I.- When he causes serious harm which will be punished by two years in prison; II.- when engaged in the campaign, who will be punished with five years in prison, and if it is detrimental to military operations, with ten years in prison, and III. When it is carried out in front of the enemy, marching to meet him, waiting for him on the defensive, chasing him or during the withdrawal, a sentence of thirty to sixty years in prison will be pronounced, ”details the Code.

During this time, the United Nations (UN) asked the authorities to Mexico a prompt and impartial investigation into the acts of violence.

“The use of firearms must be the last resort, proportionate to the legitimate aim pursued, with full respect and protection of human life. Any death related to the use of force by the military must be independently investigated by civilian authorities,” the UN said in a March 1 statement.