Eight guards and officials could face murder charges after a deadly fire at a migrant detention center in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, killed 39 detained men. An investigation into the incident has been opened for the crime of homicide and damage to property, with other possible charges being considered, said prosecutor Sara Irene Herrerias. The victims were all male, and the government is under pressure to determine why they died, despite officials saying women detainees at the center were safely evacuated. The security minister has identified two federal agents, a state migration officer, and five members of a private security firm who may be responsible for the deaths. A short video circulating on social media shows men kicking on the bars of a locked door as their cell filled with smoke.
Rescue Team Ciudad Juarez, a private paramedic service, reached the building at 10:05pm and found men in military attire pulling people out of the men’s unit, said a member of the group who was on site and declined to be named.The video circulating on social media showing men kicking on the bars of a locked door as their cell filled with smoke and three uniformed people walking past without trying to open the door is a chilling reminder of the tragic incident. Prosecutors have identified two federal agents, a state migration officer, and five members of a private security firm who may be responsible for the deaths. Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez stated at a news conference that emergency protocols and whether the private security company was properly trained would be examined, adding that “it looks like these guards didn’t have any training.”
