Human rights activists and family members in the violence-stricken Mexican border city of Nuevo Laredo are raising alarms over the deaths of a nurse and an 8-year-old girl, attributing their fatalities to military and National Guard actions during a pursuit of suspected drug cartel vehicles. The grim incidents have reignited debates about the role of military forces in civilian law enforcement in Mexico, particularly as the country grapples with the pervasive influence of drug cartels.
Civilian Casualties Amid Gun Battles
Reports indicate that the victims were caught in the crossfire during violent confrontations involving military patrols and suspected cartel operatives. The Nuevo Laredo Human Rights Committee issued a statement over the weekend confirming that a third civilian was killed in a separate military chase in the city. The National Guard, a military-trained entity under the oversight of the Defense Department, has come under scrutiny for its conduct.
Civilian prosecutors in Tamaulipas, where Nuevo Laredo is located, have yet to confirm or deny the incidents, which took place over Friday and Saturday. Federal prosecutors and the Defense Department have also remained silent amid growing public outcry.
Recent Incidents Highlight Military Accountability
If verified, these shooting deaths would mark the second instance in two weeks in which Mexican military forces are implicated in civilian fatalities. This troubling trend includes the deaths of three children or adolescents connected to military actions, following the killing of six migrants—among them an 11-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy—by soldiers in Chiapas on October 1.
The first tragic incident in Nuevo Laredo occurred late Friday night when a nurse, her husband, and their son inadvertently drove into an area where soldiers were pursuing suspected criminals. Víctor Carrillo Martínez, the husband of the deceased nurse, recounted to local media, “there was a confrontation,” adding that his wife was killed “in the crossfire.”
Martínez criticized the soldiers, stating that they passed by without providing assistance: “They went as if nothing had happened.” He reported that his wife suffered a gunshot wound to the head, and health professionals informed him that “they were large caliber bullets used by soldiers.”
An Innocent Child Caught in the Crossfire
The following day, the situation escalated when an 8-year-old girl and her grandmother were driving to a stationery store. They were caught in a military pursuit when a military vehicle chased an SUV and their car became wedged between the two. The grandmother recounted the harrowing moment, saying, “When I looked, the car was covered in blood. I looked at the girl and I said, ‘she’s bleeding out.’”
Despite her desperate pleas for help, she lamented, “I screamed, screamed at the soldiers, but because they didn’t want to stop, they didn’t help me.” Confusion arose regarding whether the perpetrators were soldiers or National Guard officers, as the latter has been largely composed of military personnel and trained as soldiers since its creation in 2019.
Military Oversight and Accountability
In a separate incident, the Rights Committee reported that a young man’s tortured body was discovered in a truck previously pursued by the military and National Guard, with no weapons found in the vehicle. The alarming pattern of violence raises serious questions about the Mexican military’s role in civilian law enforcement, particularly following former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s policies that expanded military involvement in public safety.
Critics argue that the military lacks the necessary training for civilian law enforcement duties. In 2023, the Defense Department announced that 16 soldiers would face military charges for their involvement in the killing of five men in Nuevo Laredo, an incident captured on security camera footage that López Obrador characterized as an apparent “execution.”
Calls for Accountability and Change
Raymundo Ramos, the head of the Nuevo Laredo Human Rights Committee, criticized the excessive power wielded by the armed forces, stating, “the armed forces continue to have very large powers, very strong and above any civilian authority.” He added, “It appears nobody wants to touch the military in this country,” underscoring the prevailing impunity surrounding military actions.
These tragic incidents come on the heels of the new president, Claudia Sheinbaum, taking office, marking a time of transition in Mexico’s leadership. The first significant violence under her administration occurred on October 1 in Tapachula, where soldiers reportedly fired on a truck carrying migrants, resulting in the deaths of six individuals—an incident labeled the worst killing of migrants by authorities in Mexico since 2021.
