Saltillo: 3 Men Executed and Casa Migrante Death Threats Continue

Borderland Beat

Two unrelated stories but both from Saltillo.  The first is a report of the execution of 3 men.  The second is one I touched on in my comments in the past few days.  It is in regards to "Casa Migrante" in Saltillo.  These migrant shelters are ones we  assist with our "Project 72".  It is a fairly large shelter with 110-130 migrants being accommodated each day.  Brave Catholic Priest operate Casa Migrantes and their lives are always in jeopardy, I explain why in my post following the El Diario article.

El Diario

Tortured, with bound hands and executed by the coup de grace, the bodies of three men - one of them an employee of a used car lot - in Colonia Loma Linda.

The bloody incident occurred in the first minutes of Wednesday in the eastern sector of the city.

It is unofficially reported that families of the victims appeared before the Public Ministry representative for legal procedures, they also knew that they could run a relative of one another.

The victims were identified as Cecilio Casas Padilla, 53, employee of a used car lot and  brothers Enrique and Miguel Sanchez.

Later, in a statement, the Attorney General launched an investigation of Coahuila for the triple homicide.

The report notes that the triple murder was committed on Tuesday 8 January at 23:50 hours in the stated colonia.

The incident report was received at the State Emergency System 066, via anonymous calls, but the bodies were found shortly after 00:15 hours Wednesday.

In that sector three people were reported dead, all being  males,  they were located on a dirt road from a vacant lot located between Calle Nopal and Chaparral, the colony of Loma Linda.

For the now deceased were found tied hands yellow plastic ties and were displaying firearm projectile impacts in various areas of the body.

The prosecutor arrived at the scene, as well as  Expert Services,  staff from the Medical Examiner, and officials of the Deputy of Research to perform the corresponding investigations.



Reinforcing security at the Casa del Migrante

by Chivis Martinez

For over a week death threats have been received at one of the migrant shelters in Saltillo. Death threats have been delivered against the managers of the shelter.  Father Pedro Pantoja has also received death threats, but it has not been made clear by authorities  who is issuing the threats or why. 

Over one week ago I heard about the threats, and at that time I was told the threats were against the entire shelter and everyone in the shelter.  It now appears to be more specific than first thought.

Reports state:

Authorities announced that different state police forces are guarding Casa del Migrante, after the death threats they have received against several of its executives.

"We are investigating the death threats he received in recent days by  Father Pedro Pantoja de la Casa del Migrante," the Attorney General of the State (PGJE).

 In a statement, the agency added that "The relevant inquiry PGJE started and is gathering evidence to identify the source of these threats.."

On Tuesday, Amnesty International (AI) and the Network of Civil Human Rights All Rights for All (Red TDT) called for the intervention of state authorities at the increasing threats of staff working at the shelter.

Shelters and Priests operating shelters are frequently under attack by cartels.  They oppose safe havens for economic migrants as migrants they are a valuable resource for criminal organizations. A,side from extortion, they are forced into criminal activities,  recruited into cartels, or exploited and used for other the drug criminal activities such as  the sex trade.

Economic migrants migrating from Southern Mexico and Central America on their journey to the United States, are preyed upon, kidnapped, extorted. forced into servitude, or recruited for narco work by force. Another practice is for narcos to be waiting for United States deportation buses along the border and literally snatching deportees as they are forced by the U.S. into walking across international bridges and into Mexico with little or no resources.

Senseless protocol dictates that the United States supplies Mexico  with a list of ages, and sex of the deportees and the exact point of entry, date and time the buses are scheduled to arrive.  As bad as that is, many deportees are not a citizen of Mexico, in essence undocumented migrants are forced into unlawfully entering a country in which they are undocumented. 

This is with full knowledge by the United States.  They are deported with a blue bracelet and deportation papers that depict their country of citizenship.