MOSCOW: A Mexican court has found 12 police officers of the country’s northern state of Tamaulipas guilty of the murder of 17 migrants and two traffickers, which took place in 2021, reported Sputnik, quoting Mexican newspaper Elefante Blanco on Thursday.
One of the convicted, who cooperated with the investigation, had his murder charges dropped and will receive a sentence of from two to nine years of prison term for power abuse and misconduct. Other officers, charged with homicide, will be sentenced to from 50 to 70 years.
The killings took place in the municipality of Camargo near the US border in early 2021. The state’s authorities managed to capture 12 officers while about the same number escaped.
None of the convicted, apart from the officer collaborating with the investigation, has pleaded guilty. Motives for the murder remain unknown, the media reported, citing state government sources.
In addition to prison terms, the accused will have to pay compensation to the victims’ families. -BERNAMA
