The Mexican government says it plans to pursue criminal complaints in the United States over the deaths of 17 Mexican nationals who died either while in immigration custody or during federal enforcement operations.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the move Thursday, saying her government intends to go beyond diplomatic protests and ask American authorities to investigate whether criminal charges are warranted.
Fourteen of the deaths reportedly occurred while Mexican nationals were in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Three others died during immigration-enforcement operations, according to Mexican officials.
The announcement followed the fatal shooting of 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an ICE officer in Houston on Tuesday.
Federal immigration officials say agents were attempting to stop Salgado Araujo’s vehicle during a targeted enforcement operation. According to ICE, he tried to evade arrest, rammed a government vehicle, ignored repeated commands and then attempted to run over an officer.
ICE says the officer fired in self-defense.
Salgado Araujo later died at a hospital. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general are investigating the incident.
His family strongly disputes the government’s version of events.
Relatives have described Salgado Araujo as a longtime construction worker who had lived in the United States for roughly 35 years and supported three sons through college. His son has called for an independent investigation and said his father did not deserve to die.
Video recorded after the shooting shows Salgado Araujo wounded on the ground, but the publicly available footage does not appear to show the complete encounter leading up to the gunfire.
The Mexican government has characterized the Houston shooting as part of a broader pattern of mistreatment involving Mexican migrants.
Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said Mexico intends to submit criminal complaints to state prosecutors and the U.S. Department of Justice. The requests would not force American prosecutors to bring charges, but they could increase diplomatic pressure for independent investigations.
Mexico also plans to bring civil claims against private companies that operate immigration detention centers where Mexican citizens allegedly suffered human-rights violations.
The move represents a noticeably more confrontational approach from the Sheinbaum government. Mexico has previously raised concerns through diplomatic channels and international human-rights organizations, but officials now say written protests alone have not produced sufficient accountability.
The Houston shooting has already triggered protests and demands for greater transparency.
More than 1,000 demonstrators reportedly marched near the shooting location Wednesday, chanting against ICE and calling for the release of evidence connected to the incident. Houston-area elected officials and civil-rights organizations have also demanded an independent investigation rather than relying entirely on federal agencies to investigate federal officers.
Legal experts say local police and Harris County prosecutors may have the authority to conduct their own investigation. However, any local inquiry could face serious obstacles if federal agencies decline to provide evidence, witnesses or access to the officer involved.
The case arrives as the Trump administration continues an aggressive immigration-enforcement campaign throughout the country.
Supporters of the administration say ICE agents are routinely placed in dangerous situations when suspects flee, resist arrest or use vehicles against officers. They argue that federal agents must be allowed to defend themselves when they reasonably believe their lives are in danger.
Critics say immigration officers increasingly rely on vehicle stops and aggressive tactics that can escalate encounters unnecessarily. They also argue that federal agencies have not always released enough evidence to support initial claims that drivers deliberately attempted to strike officers.
In the Houston case, no final determination has been made about whether the officer’s use of deadly force was justified.
Mexico’s proposed complaints will now place additional pressure on U.S. officials to release evidence and explain how each of the 17 Mexican nationals died.
Whether any American prosecutor will actually pursue criminal charges remains uncertain. Mexico can request investigations and provide evidence, but decisions about prosecution ultimately belong to U.S. federal, state and local authorities.
For now, the Houston shooting remains under investigation, with federal authorities and Salgado Araujo’s family offering sharply different accounts of what happened during the final moments of his life.
