Three suspected migrants were arrested on Monday for the alleged murder Mexican immigration agent who asked to see their identification documents, Mexican officials say.
The migrants – two from Venezuela and one from Colombia – were arrested hours after the alleged attack on the agent, who was found dead earlier in the day, state security and migration officials said. The attack happened about 30 miles south of US-Mexico border.
State investigators confirmed that the immigration agent suffered a head injury and was found without vital signs. His body also showed “signs of violence,” according to a statement from public security officials in the northern state of Chihuahua.
Authorities are tracking two suspects after the death of a National Migration Institute agent in Samalayuca, on the outskirts of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on December 30, 2024. (REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez)
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The agent was identified as Luis Alberto Olivas García, who worked for the immigration agency for 30 years.
The killed agent was attacked at a checkpoint south of Ciudad Juarez, which is across the border from the US city of El Paso, Texas, when he was asking an unspecified number of foreign nationals for their identification documents, according to the National Institute of Migration.
Preliminary reports indicate that the agent suffered several wounds possibly caused by a sharp weapon and a head injury most likely caused by a rock, the New York Times reported, citing Jorge Armendáriz, Chihuahua’s security minister.
Authorities are tracking two suspects after the death of a Mexican immigration agent. (REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez)
Olivas García was recognized earlier Monday for his 30 years of service, Armendáriz added.
The agent’s death marked a rare case of fatal violence against agents and comes as migrants try to cross into the US ahead of an upcoming crackdown on illegal crossings President-elect Trump takes the oath of office.
Members of the Mexican National Guard stand next to an ambulance after state police in Mexico detained migrants suspected of killing a Mexican federal immigration official near the U.S. border. (REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez)
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Hundreds of migrants traveling to the US waited in long lines outside an immigration office in southern Mexico on Monday, hoping to secure safe passage north to enter the US, Reuters reported.
The USA recorded an unprecedented number illegal migrants flows across its borders under the Biden-Harris administration.
The cornerstone of Trump’s second term in office is to secure the border and implement the largest mass deportation program the US has ever seen.
Reuters contributed to this report.
