Luis Alberto Olivas García, a veteran immigration agent, was killed by a group of migrants in Chihuahua. Conflicting reports on arrests highlight the ongoing challenges surrounding immigration enforcement in Mexico.
Immigration Agent Killed in Attack by Migrants in Chihuahua
Immigration Agent Killed in Attack by Migrants in Chihuahua
Tensions rise at immigration checkpoint as an agent is fatally attacked; suspects in custody.
In a tragic incident on Monday afternoon, Luis Alberto Olivas García, a federal immigration agent in Mexico, was killed by a group of migrants at a checkpoint located in the northern state of Chihuahua. The National Migration Institute reported that the attack occurred after Olivas García requested to see the migrants' identification papers at the Precos-Samalayuca checkpoint, situated about 30 miles south of Ciudad Juárez—just across the border from El Paso, Texas.
Initial reports indicated that the assailants inflicted multiple wounds using a sharp instrument, and Olivas García also sustained head injuries, likely from a rock. The Mexican authorities have confirmed the arrest of two Venezuelan men; however, conflicting information emerged regarding whether additional suspects were in custody.
While no charges had been filed by Monday evening, the event has drawn attention to the already tense environment immigrant agents face, a reality that has been emphasized by experts who note that attacks on immigration officers are relatively uncommon in Mexico.
Luis Alberto Olivas García had been honored for his 30 years of dedicated service just hours before the incident occurred. In response to the killing, the Colombian migration authorities have initiated an investigation, while Venezuelan officials have not yet provided a comment.
