**Retired Mexican Judge Arrested for Alleged Tampering in Iguala Student Disappearance Case**

Lambertina Galeana Marín's arrest has reignited hope for justice in the long-overshadowed case of the 43 students who disappeared in 2014.

In a significant development concerning the infamous disappearance of 43 students in Iguala, Mexico, a retired judge has been arrested for her alleged role in obstructing justice. Lambertina Galeana Marín, who previously served as the president of the Superior Tribunal of Justice in Guerrero, is accused of ordering the destruction of crucial CCTV footage that investigators believe is vital to understanding the events of that fateful night in September 2014.

At 79 years old, Galeana was apprehended in Chilpancingo, more than three years after authorities issued a warrant for her arrest. The case of the missing students has haunted both Mexico and the families of those affected, with continued calls for justice remaining unresolved over a decade later. While the remains of three of the students have been discovered, the fate of the other 40 remains largely a mystery, though they are generally presumed deceased. A report published in 2022 by a government-appointed truth commission revealed that the case likely involved a conspiracy between state forces and a local criminal organization.

The students were abducted after attempting to commandeer buses for an annual protest in Mexico City. Local police, collaborating with the criminal group Guerreros Unidos, escalated the situation due to fears that rival gang members, Los Rojos, had infiltrated the group. This led to a series of roadblocks throughout Iguala, and crucial evidence disappeared, primarily the CCTV footage from the Palace of Justice that could have illuminated events during the confrontation. Statements from palace employees indicated that cameras had recorded the blocking incident, but the footage was ultimately deemed "lost" when investigators sought it out.

Allegations against Galeana suggest that she was complicit in the footage's destruction or deletion. The Mexican Ministry of Security confirmed that Galeana would be charged with forced disappearance, a development that may bring renewed hope to the families tirelessly seeking answers about their missing loved ones.